Nutritionist debunks misconceptions about two popular 'ultra-processed' foods

With many of us embarking on new year health kicks, households across the country will be trying to get more nutritious foods into our diets. But when planning what you're going to eat, it can be difficult to know just what constitutes an "ultra-processed" food item.

And top nutritionist Dr Federica Amati has shared a surprise take on two staples of the family breakfast that are often labelled as "bad for you".

The author of Every Body Should Know This and head nutritionist at Zoe, the health science company founded by Tim Spector, spoke out on the ever-growing evidence that ultra-processed food can lead to an increased risk of high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease.

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While baked beans and Weetabix are branded as "unhealthy" and "ultra-processed" food items, the nutritionist reveals that cutting these staples out of your diet is not the key to fighting the obesity epidemic.

Government figures show that in the year 2022 to 2023, 64 per cent of adults aged 18 years and over in England were estimated to be overweight. This epidemic is partly thanks to the popularity of highly-processed food including crisps, cooked meats, and fizzy drinks, reports Surrey Live.

A survey published in September 2024 by the NHS found that obesity rates in 2022 were 12 per cent among those aged between two and 10, and 19 per cent in those aged between 11 and 15.

But writing in The Times, Dr Amati said it's not necessary to be over-vigilant when cutting back on processed foods. She said: “We all know by now that a high intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is bad for health.

"Research has connected UPFs to an increased risk of obesity, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. It has also been linked to the rise in colorectal cancer in younger people, according to new research by Cancer Research UK. However, it’s not quite as simple as all or nothing.”

She explained that nutritionists and epidemiologists use the "Nova classification" to group foods into four categories. Groups one to three cover foods that are unprocessed or minimally processed, such as butter.

Group 4 includes foods that are industrially manufactured and made almost entirely from compounds extracted from foods. These foods are full of chemicals synthesised in laboratories, with an ingredients list made up of additives.

But she explained that while some products might appear on the lists - such as Weetabix and baked beans, it’s not necessary for most people to completely cut them out.

She said: “However, while the Nova system has done a great job of making us think about how much our food is processed, it wasn’t designed to tell us about the different health effects of these foods and how to make better dietary choices.

"Take baked beans, for example, which are classified in Nova group 4. No nutrition professional would say, ‘Don’t eat baked beans,’ because for many people they are the only beans they eat and they’re fibre-rich. The same goes for Weetabix. Technically it’s a UPF, but it doesn’t contain a raft of additives and is also rich in fibre — a nutrient of which most of us don’t eat anywhere near enough.

“We also need to consider the amount of UPF we are eating. High intakes are linked to poorer health, but lower intakes — usually 15 per cent of our calorie intake — are not. Alarmingly, in the UK more than 65 per cent of our calorie intake is from UPFs. But if you go to Italy, where I am from, it’s 14 per cent. This is what we need to aim for, and it’s doable.”

But the expert warns against replacing all of your plant-based nutrition with processed foods. She said: “We know that a diet low in wholegrains is a leading factor in diet-related diseases. In fact, this kind of diet kills a lot more people than a diet that is high in trans fats. It is the fact we are not eating enough whole foods that is driving ill health.

“So when it comes to cutting down UPFs, my advice is that you do not have to be terrified of eating any of these foods, or deny yourself ever having a treat. I love an occasional croissant from a really good bakery, but I wouldn’t eat a mass-produced one from a supermarket.

"With any UPFs, just look out for the ones that are high in sugar, salt and saturated fats and low in fibre, as well as those that contain a long list of industrial additives such as emulsifiers, sweeteners and bulking agents that you might consider not eating every day. Learn also to spot foods that are marketed as healthy but are full of additives.”

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