The conversation around ultra-processed foods is a hot topic right now, with the British Heart Foundation highlighting their high levels of saturated fat, salt, and sugar. These foods not only pose health risks but it also means leaving less room for healthy foods.
Navigating supermarket aisles for truly nutritious items can be a minefield, as many products touted as ‘healthy’ are sometimes anything but.
To cut through the confusion, nutrition expert and health coach Donna Bartoli recently took to Instagram to reveal the five ‘healthy’ foods she avoids purchasing, given her stance against ultra-processed goods.
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She advised: “This is not demonising food, it’s fact. My biggest tip when thinking about trying to cut it out yourself is to read ingredient labels. If there’s words on there you don’t understand, or sugar where it shouldn’t be, you probably don’t want to eat it.”
‘Healthy’ snacks
Among the deceptive ‘healthy’ snacks are protein bars, flavoured nuts, and flapjacks, which may seem like better choices than chocolate or crisps but often contain nasty additives, reports Surrey Live.
Donna warned: “Don’t be fooled by the healthy snacks section. 99 percent of these bars are filled with various types of sugar, sweeteners and preservatives.”
Pasta sauces
Ready-made sauces are a godsend for speedy dinners, but if you’re aiming to slash the ultra-processed food from your diet, home-cooking sauces and freezing them is a smart move.
Donna said: “It’s crazy how something so simple like a two or three ingredient sauce can be processed into ones with more sugar, refined oils and preservatives.
“These are all to increase shelf life when they can actually provide tons of nutrition when made at home.”
Dressings
When it comes to salad dressings in the supermarket they may be great for jazzing up salads, but whipping up a homemade one may be better for those dodging ultra-processed foods.
Donna said: “You might think I’m repeating myself but again these are packed with sugar, refined oils, artificial flavours and xanthan gums to thicken.”
Granola
Granola often seen as a healthy breakfast option, but some brands are packed with sugar. Opting for simple nuts and seeds with your morning yoghurt could do the trick instead.
Donna said: “This one gets me, every time I see yoghurt and granola on the menu, I think inflammation. This is not a healthy breakfast choice, even though they tell you it is. Sugar and sweeteners spike your blood pressure.”
Wholemeal bread
And lastly, while certain bread types like sourdough generally steer clear of additives, wholemeal bread often falls under the ultra-processed category.
Highlighting the contents of a wholemeal loaf, Donna pointed out: “Sugar, rapeseed oil, preservatives, emulsifiers and E numbers should not be in your bread.”