Ultra-processed foods are in the news. If you haven’t heard about this yet, ultra-processed foods have ingredients that aren’t usually found by themselves in kitchens, like high fructose corn syrup or emulsifiers. Among the things that are usually classified as ultra-processed are sodas, packaged snacks (chips, cookies, crackers, etc.), packaged bakery products, breakfast cereals, fruity yogurts, ready-to-eat meals, and canned soups. That’s just what’s in the grocery store. You can assume that most of what you’re eating in fast food and even higher end restaurants falls into this category. Many people refer to the NOVA system of categorizing food processing as a starting place for those wishing to reduce their intake of ultra-processed foods.
Years ago, my husband, who worked for several large international food companies, said we’d all be a lot better off if we stayed out of the aisles of the supermarket. That advice probably still works today. Consuming tons of ultra-processed foods has been linked to a number of adverse health outcomes, notably cognitive decline. Ultra-processed foods seem to increase overall appetite, leading to weight gain. In the linked study, people ate 500 extra calories per day on an ultra-processed diet compared to a healthier diet, and that equates to a 50 pound gain per year for most people. That’s a lot.
Working against the best of intentions, though, is this thing called time. Ultra-processed foods are not only yummy, but they’re so very convenient. Pop this in the microwave, and dinner is ready! For those of us holding down full time jobs and running households, the temptation is real.
I think the key to a sensible response is to take baby steps toward a healthier diet rather than saying “starting today, I will grow my own wheat for my own bread.” I tried to identify the biggest culprits in our household. We quit drinking sodas years ago and we don’t eat out much, very rarely at a fast food place. So I suppose we’re already doing better than many.
My first target was my breakfast cereal. I have been very fond of Kashi cereals, but honestly, the ingredients are not all that hard to put together. I actually consulted ChatGPT, my go-to for recipe advice, and came up with a pretty good Muesli recipe. All I needed was a large glass jar (avoiding plastic is also on my to-do list) and some basic bulk ingredients. Next on my list was my daughter’s Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. Yes, they do make lower calorie versions and they’re yummy, but I wanted to skip the sausage patty or bacon. That’s maybe just treat material, not every day. Karla is an adult with autism, and although she’s much more adventurous in her eating choices now than when she was little, I still want to respect that. I started making either just a plain fried or scrambled egg and toast, or my own breakfast sandwich using a Thomas’ English muffin.
Speaking of toast, another target in my system was buying commercial bread. I once asked my uncle, who was in charge of the bakery division of a very large supermarket chain, why American bread was so terrible. One of the best things about traveling to Europe is the bread. He seemed surprised by my question, because the poofy stuff that passes for bread here does sell well. But when sliced bread became a thing, producers needed to load up on preservatives. A sliced loaf has a much shorter shelf life than a whole loaf. I hauled out my trusty bread maker and started making whole wheat loaves. They’re such a treat!
I’m not one of those people who can go for hours and hours without food, so snacks are a necessity. For hiking, we had been buying energy bars of various types, and I treated myself with a small amount of commercial cookies mid-afternoon. Well, baking cookies is easy, right? I found a really yummy recipe for trail bars that includes grains, seeds, peanut butter, and honey. It’s messy and somewhat caloric (about 250 calories per serving), but seems to hit the right spot on a hike. After dinner, we enjoy home made treats like servings of pumpkin bread. This tastes really good and freezes, so I can make a huge batch that lasts a long time.
Finally, I tackled the canned soup that was a staple for my husband’s lunches. I purchased an Instant Pot last year to help survive a kitchen remodel, and it’s perfect for soup. I have so many recipes that I want to try out!
I don’t think it’s necessarily realistic to think that we will completely eliminate ultra-processed foods, but I’m continuing to explore ways to reduce our intake.
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