ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
The Truth About Ultra Processed Foods - Tips to Navigate the Modern Food Environment
By Nicole Freebairn, Registered Nutritionist
In recent decades, our food environment has evolved immensely, in particular, with the development of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Whilst it’s no secret that the vast majority of UPFs don’t offer us much in the way of nutritional value, the purpose of this blog post is not to further demonise these foods, but rather to help you understand WHY they’re so easy to overeat, and give you some practical tools to help navigate the modern food environment.
What are Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs)
Ultra-processed foods go through multiple stages of industrial processing and often contain ingredients not typically used in home cooking. Examples include chips, biscuits, lollies, sugary cereals, and many convenience foods. These foods are specifically designed to be hyper-palatable, making you want to reach for another bite even if you're not truly hungry.
Why are UPFs so easy to overeat?
Taste Engineering: UPFs are specifically formulated to create the MOST delicious taste profiles, which are often incomparable to those found in nature. They often contain a combination of sugar, fat and salt which stimulate the brain’s reward centres, making them more pleasurable and addictive.
Convenience: perhaps one of the most appealing features of UPFs is that they’re quick, easy and ready-to-eat which fits nicely with our go-go-go lifestyles.
Sensory Experience: the texture of UPFs are often crispy, crunchy or smooth - specifically engineered to be easy to eat with a pleasant mouth-feel.
Portions: they often come in large portions or with packaging that makes it easy to eat more.
Nutrient Void: despite being calorie dense, UPFs often lack protein, fibre and other essential nutrients which make them easy to overeat but leave you feeling hungry again soon after eating.
It’s important to also consider that our brains and physiology have not evolved anywhere near as quickly as our food supply has. We are still evolutionarily designed to be attracted to foods that are easy, convenient and pleasant tasting. Historically, this would be a good strategy to help prevent starvation and avoid eating foods that were poisonous or spoiled.
The modern food environment absolutely takes advantage of this, but rather than feeling victimised by this, use this knowledge to give yourself some compassion if you find yourself overeating UPFs - they are specifically designed this way! Instead of perpetuating the cycle of feeling bad about your relationship with UPFs (which often makes things worse), use this knowledge to empower you.
While it can be challenging and often unrealistic to avoid UPFs entirely, here are a few strategies to help you navigate the modern food environment and make you less likely to reach for UPFs as often:
Try to make your healthy options just as convenient - prep breakfasts in advance, freeze extra portions of dinners or take leftovers for lunch, and have some super easy back-up dinners such as hot chicken + slaw + (low-carb) wraps.
Prioritise protein and fibre in your main meals - this will help you to feel fuller for longer and less inclined to reach for the UPFs (in other words - most convenience snack foods).
Incorporate flavours you enjoy into your main meals - this is less important for some people, but for many of us, taste is quite an important part of the eating experience. Incorporating herbs, spices, sauces and other flavour additions into your meals can help you to feel more “mentally satisfied” from your main meals and less tempted to snack.
Incorporate different textures into your main meals - in particular crunch. Similar to above, the sensory experience of eating can be another factor that drives us to eat. It’s often the crunchy texture that people crave from UPFs, so try to incorporate some crunch into your main meals if this resonates with you. This could include toasted pumpkin seeds or pinenuts, roast chickpeas, raw cucumber or capsicum, etc.
Keep high protein “emergency” options on hand - there will always be occasions where you get caught out between meals or the hunger hits at times where it’s not convenient or appropriate to have your next meal. These are typically high risk times for grabbing the most convenient ready-to-eat option you can find (that may not be particularly nutritious). Keep some protein-based ready-to-eat options on hand such as: Tric Protein powder, biltong, or tins of tuna.
These are just a few practical tips to get you started. In clinic, we take a holistic approach with nutrition and psychology support to give you individualised guidance to help reframe your eating habits and relationship with food.
Want to learn more?
Reach out to our team via phone (07 859 0185) or email (reception@tailorclinics.co.nz) if you’ve got any questions.
Disclaimer: this blog post is intended for educational purposes only and does not replace individual medical advice. For more support please always seek the guidance of your relevant health practitioners.