If you are not reducing your intake of UPF…

[maybein2022]

… with all the media attention on UPF at the moment and so much research coming out about it. Interested to know. If you’re NOT reducing your intake of it, is it because you’re not able to (finances/accessibility/time), because you don’t want to or don’t think it’s a problem, you and/or your kids are neurodivergent and a lot of ‘safe’ foods are UPF or other reasons.

YANBU: I am reducing mine/my family’s intake
YABU: I am not for reasons listed above (or other reasons)

I used to buy sauces and salad dressings etc now I make them. (Ketchup excluded. Mayonnaise excluded but I buy the non UPF and annoyingly expensive one now). I make yogurt dressing out of yogurt, any green herbs (usually basil), lemon juice and olive oil in a mini food processor and it’s lovely. Takes 2 mins but probably more £ than having a big bottle that lasts for ages.

The people saying “where do you find the time?!” - how much time do you spend on Mumsnet every day?

This is a bit like the exercise threads. Pages and pages of a handful of users spending hours arguing about how their life is so busy they can’t possibly do a 20-minute YouTube workout.

I haven’t reduced our intake of UPF for various reasons.

Firstly, we don’t eat that much UPF (from my understanding of the definition), and most of the UPF we do eat is treat food, so is eaten in moderation.

My DD is a picky eater, so there are some beige type food that I serve her because she won’t eat other things, like potato waffles - not ideal but better than not eating.

I’m also a bit sceptical about anything that is promoted as the ‘new/ latest diet issue’ - it’s been fats, carbs, clean eating, paleo etc in the past. And now it’s UPF - what next?

I’m also sceptical about any new diet/ nutrition issues that create a lot more work for the person doing the cooking (which is usually women) - cooking from scratch all the time, checking ingredients, no convenience food. When Dr Chris (not sure of name - the one who wrote the book) did a Q&A on MN, I think someone did post the question of whether he did all the cooking and did he acknowledge the extra work - can’t remember if he answered it.

I also think it’s the type of attitude that people can get very obsessed about. I’ve certainly seen a couple of threads on UPF on MN over the past year where some posters appear to be really obsessive and nit-picking about it. That kind of attitude doesn’t seem healthy.

We don't eat fish😀Vegetarian. I make my own "curry" and pasta sauces, though curry is a misnomer really. We make the time, I guess. I batch cook and freeze stuff. DC will sometimes use pasta sauces if cooking only for themselves.

Yes, not a typical diet. My typical though.

@Usernamen

i would rather go to the gym then make my own sauce

I don't agree it is only for the rich because the poorest people in the world eat this way.

That’s probably because they have no choice and it may be cheaper for them because the place they live is cheaper for those things. That doesn’t compare with over here. We do have choice and unless there’s a massive reform, there always will be. And for some people, that choice keeps them alive.

Not to mention the fact that the poorest people in the world may eat that way but as far as I know, although their diets are whole foods, they generally have limited diets and often malnutrition.

In addition, it’s not just about time, like I said. Cost of gas/electric etc. And those shortcuts you mentioned probably incur costs.

You don't need to be qualified to find factual sources that show how food is processed?

Or look up the studies that investigate UPFs?

She's a good middle man of knowledge, she hasn't made up how UPFs are made! For goodness sake.

Also, as I said earlier on, and even the ‘experts’ say too, is, it IS more expensive to eat well and eat whole foods, bake your own cakes etc. Not just financially, but time wise too and also having as someone else pointed out, resources to do it, time but also equipment etc.

I am hugely grateful that I am able to cook and eat this way for me and my family, and as I also said earlier, I love cooking. It was always just the UPF snacks and junk that caused my issues.

I did introduce zucchini (courgette) & broccoli again during that time & the sweetness of them was incredible.

It is wild how the tongue can adapt to no sugar & then taste it in tiny amounts

I remember drinking a different brand of aspirin & knowing straight away it had sugar added ! You wouldn't think to check aspirin for sugar...

No fruit as it's sugar - It does seem that many people stall with weight loss due to replacing other treats with unlimited serves of fruit a day

Back in the day fruits were grown seasonally & a still a treat but now fruit is seen as the go to healthy option

Now treat fruit the same way I would chocolate

ah so @LuckySantangelo35 I don't go to the gym ever! That's where the time comes from. I am a healthy enough weight.

I don't bake either. No one in the house is that keen on sweets.

It's definitely more expensive to eat healthily and to cook from scratch. Also factor in the energy cost, not just the ingredients cost. It's eyewatering - I've just cooked a home made banana bread and will be cooking chicken for dinner and it shows on my smart meter how much energy this uses!

I do think though that there is nuance and room to evaluate UPFs. Like, soy milk and baked beans count, but with baked beans, it's not like they've slurried and reformed the beans.

There is just so much evidence out there now though to show that all the crisps, biscuits, cakes etc are so universally bad for us in so many ways - addictive, devoid of nutrients, unsatisfying, full of stuff we shouldn't be eating.

I haven't cut out UPFs btw yet, but the more I learn about them, the more irresponsible it feels to eat them.

It’s more expensive to not eat UPF’s and this is why no one is going to act and do anything about it. Big profits, cheap food. All we can do is make decisions for ourselves based on information and the resources we have

I look at Mumsnet when I'm supposed to be working in the office. I suppose I could whip out a food processor but not sure my colleagues will appreciate it.

People keep saying it's a "new" way of eating ,but it really isn't. It may be new to the UK.

Similar here. I know what I need to do but it's hard to stick by it, especially when things are busy/stressful.

I am making an effort to eat more fresh food but once you have one takeaway, for example, it's hard to get back into the mindset. But then they say that's one of the consequences of UPF don't they, addiction!

Interesting- this is definitely a step too far for me! I love vegetables and they form a big part of my diet. With fruit I am mindful of portion size as I agree it can hinder weight loss.

As for poor people elsewhere who eat whole foods being malnutrioned, sure, because they often can't afford enough protein. But eating chicken nuggets and chips daily isn't exactly nutrition either.

Right now, of course, there is a lot of confusion about what is UPF and what isn't. I think the sugary cereals have been sold as health food for years, and it is going to take some time for people to find out they are not.

I really enjoy cooking from scratch, but I must admit, highlighting the issues around UPF has caused me to cut down using them a bit more. I'm not perfect, and still use some things - things like stock pots etc for ease and things I really can't easily make. But I don't use jar sauces etc anymore.

Well I would rather take my cues from those with an academic interest in the area (same for any other advice I take in life). She doesn't actually appear to be in any way qualified to analyse or interpret academic research in this area (nor am I, but I'm not promoting myself as someone to listen to).

There doesn't appear to be any one accepted definition of UPFs, nor any research that demonstrates UPFs are harmful while also controlling for other confounding factors.

Even those on this thread who've said they have benefited from cutting UPFs have just described moving to a diet that would have been recognised as a healthier option for as long as I can remember.

I'm very very sceptical about the UPF labelling. I'm even more sceptical about unqualified influencers portraying themselves as experts in any field. I'm not at all sceptical about eating a diet with lots of fruit and veg, meals cooked broadly from scratch and minimal junk food. There's nothing new in that.

I don’t eat a huge amount of fruit as it’s not filling. I eat more veg.

I do eat foods that have emulsifiers in them I am sure, I’m not that intense, I just try to avoid things I know have been predominantly formed from a disgusting vat of slurry paste. The meat is the worst for me in my mind

I also love vegetables

The carnivore approach is that the health benefits of vegetables are largely overstated

Eg: Spinach has iron, but meat has more iron

Plants have defence mechanisms (toxins) to stop us eating them. They don't just exist for us to eat. This is why children are taught not to eat strange plants/berries.

But when it comes to toxic animals that will kill us if we eat them, we can name most of those on one hand, even here in Australia!

But it offers SOME nutrients, is easy to prepare and will fill hungry tummies.

Some stuff like sliced bread and baked beans are UPFs, but not really unhealthy as part of a balanced diet. I do love my coca-cola. Full sugar version...not sure if the diet one is any worse in terms of UPF-ness?
It seems like ready meals and Mcdonalds come under this, and I do eat those as well sometimes. The Charlie Bigham's ready meals aren't so bad are they?

So I feel like I know what I'm doing when I consume these things, but not in excess and my weight is very low. I guess I feel it's a bit of a trendy way of telling people to eat healthier, which seems pretty obvious.

Read Chris van Tulleken's book. In all libraries. Or listen to the BBC series A Thorough Investigation by CVT if you prefer to listen than read. There's plenty of scientific evidence cited there, and it will be much more informative and accurate than someone off MN posting in a hurry.

And yes, it is the 'chemicals' in ready meals that are part of the problem. The gums, the emulsifiers, the long-chain/short-chain stuff that isn't food, but mimics food, so distorts brain to gut signals. Read up.

@ColleenDonaghy I think there is enough evidence to show the basics of what makes an UPF. It is very obvious that a meat slurried reformed chicken nugget is UP. The grey area comes with processed foods that have elements of UP in the processing. Baked beans are a good one. Part of them is not UP at all, but part is. So we are faced with trying to decide which ones are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or ones we just have to use moderation with. I would eat baked beans but I wouldn’t eat reformed meat.