Are ultra-processed foods impossible to avoid? - The Global Story podcast, BBC World Service

[@BBCWorldService]

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[@LuisDelossantos-qn2o]

0:45 0:46 0:47

[@RavinduAmor0]

Im a 20 yr old boy...I stopped drinking coaca cola, pepsi fanta..etc 5 months ago. It felt so challenging but I just updated a status on my whatsapp account declaring..."Im gonna stop drinking unhealthy drinks hereafter". And it makea me wanna stick to my challenge. And It worked.❤️

[@mkodyglobalsouthsoldier]

My son is 6 and asks me why does he gets no acid juice Other kids get coke and fanta and prime I respondee to him ( look at your teeth and look at theirs ) thats why He was quite Said on your birthday u get a coke or fanta Pre order now and meanwhile here is non acid juice

[@RavinduAmor0]

That's what true parenting look like. Keep that great work & let ur son know the terrible consequences of using those drinks. Once he realized "those drinks are for the ones who dont have self control & healthy attitudes", He'll naturally stay away from those poisons...great work you've been doing ao far❤️

[@koalatheworld]

20 years old is not a boy. Congrats on your coca cola free success.

[@RavinduAmor0]

Then what am I ? Im not a man yet 😂

[@renzo6490]

I think the argument is rather superficial. However, you could always just say,” I am 20 years old “ Or “I’m a 20 year old guy.”

[@imaanashoor9576]

You haven't got time until you are diagnosed with cancer and on your first day of chemo you have a crash course in what to avoid. Was an eye opener. The basic rule, remove sugar, UPFs and cook from home. It has not been easy, I'm literally learning to cook from scratch for the first time. What I will say is, once you build that skill of cooking and focusing on nutrient dense food it really does not take that long. 1 year cancer free and would say cut UPFs by 60%. Getting better each day.

[@chrysalis4126]

I've always cooked from scratch and still got cancer. Never smoked either. Also King Charles eats organic food and everything cooked fresh by chefs and he has it.

[@imaanashoor9576]

@chrysalis4126 I am sorry that you have also been affected by cancer and hope you are well. Everyone's cancer journey and cause was different. In my case I increased my chances of getting my specific type of cancer by not living the same lifestyle as you and King Charles. In did not mean to imply cancer is only caused by lifestyle and diet. Only God knows why I got cancer. Best wishes.

[@RogerMellie-yk3gw]

​@@chrysalis4126it's probably largely genetic. No point being miserable with dull food. Hope you get well soon, if you're still ill

[@KJ-yises]

@@chrysalis4126it’s his country side pesticide from the other industrial farms closely perhaps. His doctors are crap really, or he refuses to do medical exam.

[@icontrolmyownguns2096]

@@chrysalis4126 Have you or imaanashoor ever heard of PDL-1 blockers? It's a new treatment in the US that has a 100% cure rate. It's a PDL-1 monoclonal antibody that you take once every 3 weeks through an IV. No chemo or radiation is involved and in 6 months the cancer is gone. There are also natural PDL-1 blockers that my Mother used to cure her colon cancer. Camu Camu berry, Chaga mushrooms, Curcumin, ginger, cayenne, Luteolin, apigenin, rutin and other plant compounds are all PDL-1 blockers. Fenbendazole dog wormer is another thing my Mother took, and also Metformin. Metformin deprives the cancer of glucose and glutamine, 2 things it needs to survive. My Mom was gonna go get the PDL-1 monoclonal antibody named Dostarlimab if the natural PDL-1 blockers didn't work, but they ended up working. These monoclonal antibodies are pretty expensive, but she has insurance that would have covered most of the cost. Big Pharma got the idea from studying natural compounds that block PDL-1. Her cancer was in her colon, so it made it easy to get the PDL-1 blockers directly on the cancer. They work by boosting the immune system and allows it to wipe out the cancer.

[@huwzosimos8839]

I stopped eating ultra processed food a couple of years ago. Just veg, meat, eggs, fish, fruit. For drinking, stuck to water, tea and coffee (and a little wine). Low carb as well, so cut out bread and breakfast cereals. Feel 10 years younger, which really makes a difference when you are 66.

[@alfonsohorcajada4399]

I am doing the same. Well done!

[@RogerMellie-yk3gw]

I stopped and felt exactly the same. But it's goodish for health, so worthwhile

[@EchosJourneys]

I’ve done the same. Miraculously my allergies went away!!!!

[@rogerc23]

2. Veggies 3. Beans and lentils 4. Whole grains 5. Fruit No dairy, no oil, no processed food and no meat no bread. But I do have a few eggs a month and sardines about once a week. My body and health tested as a 27 year old and I’m 55.

[@alfonsohorcajada4399]

@@rogerc23 no Meat at all? Do you work out? Do much Sports?

[@tidy]

There should be NO MISLEADING LABELS PERMITTED! We need to take control of our food!

[@peter5.056]

It's now up to the individual to take control, instead of waiting for government to protect them.

[@pinkifloyd7867]

@@peter5.056 Lets take all the BS kindergarden and/or high school classes out and replace them with food education first

[@peter5.056]

@@pinkifloyd7867 You can't do it through the schools because everyone is too confused/biased to put forth an accurate message. You'd have the vegans going in and trying to say that all animal products are bad for health, and you'd have the carnivores going in and saying all plants are bad for health. You'd have keto people saying carbs are all bad, and the low fat starch/fruit based people saying that all fat is bad. All it (nutrition classes in K-12) would do is serve to confuse people at a younger age. It's up to the individual to think critically. In case you wanted to know, after much thinking, I've arrived at the same conclusion Michael Pollan did - "eat real food, mostly plants, not too much." I'd put the ideal human diet at 95% - 100% unprocessed plants, and 0% - 5% unprocessed animal foods. And there's probably some wiggle room to include processed ingredients like sugar, and olive oil, but not much!

[@oddvegan9797]

So you think the labels should say "Burned alive while suffocating to death, after a life of torture" for the dead bodies of pigs "Breast milk meany for a baby who was taken away from their mon, if make murdered if female bound to be murdered, from a mother who was r ped, used and exploited her whole life" "Spent their whole life in a cage where they could not even turn around" "A baby who was taken away from their mommy and murdered" for lamb I agree!

[@rachelwesterman1223]

I think you have to be remember not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. A healthy home cooked meal with a stock cube is better than frozen nuggets and chips.

[@Lizaltfish17]

This is a great point! For example- last night I made a DELISH white bean soup, full of fresh veg, but used a stock cube and canned beans, because it made it easier for me to do on a weeknight. Balance

[@benbrown8258]

I worked in the fast food industry right after college in the US. Our carbonated and (chemical based) fruit juice company just by itself spent millions on making food more palatable (addictive.) I had no idea how bad things were until I lost my health and thanks to the American insurance industry at that time my home and farm. I've spent the last 35 years trying to move my community and friends to eat and live differently. The change has been slow. Going against a trillion plus dollar culture making industry that impacts much of American government is difficult. No one person can do it, but a thousand conversations, programs, honest education and people can. Thank you greatly for information that is much harder to find on our major American broadcasting networks. A strategy some broadcasters use here is to provide as much conflicting information as possible under the illusion of fair and balanced information with the end goal of getting people to doubt science is ever accurate. If there is no objective standard for avoiding "amplified food" its fine to eat until I'm satisfied. ...and people hooked need to eat more and more to be satisfied which is great for profits.

[@amandant]

This what a podcast on video platform should look like. Not just static background image. Good job bbc. Im following you again

[@renzo6490]

We need legislation aimed at truth in labeling! Of course the food industry pressures our law makers to ignore this. Even oil labeled Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains other vegetable oils! Eggs labeled “cage free” means nothing . It sounds like the chickens are happily trotting around on green grass. But they can be being raised in horrific enormous and crowded rooms that are not “cages” exactly.

[@oddvegan9797]

Dairy is ABSOLUTELY horrific too. Joey Carbstrong has videos about it. Even dairy approved by the Society for Profiting from Cruelty to Animals (the SPCA) is absolutely horrendous. Ethically slaughtered, grass fed, organic... means nothing to the animals too.

[@sleepysarah.]

I cook from scratch because it was how I was brought up, and because I have the time to. I use an app to check the contents of any supermarket pre-packed food I want to find out more about; I scanned a brand-named Macaroni Cheese out of curiosity and was a bit shocked to find it had 64 ingredients. Unbelievable. Great video as always from BBC World Service.

[@gm3190]

My day begins at 6:00 every day... Walk the dog tidy the house and then I hit the road by 7:30. I get off work by 18:30 and I am back home by 19:30 ...walk the dog again and by 20:30 I hit the kitchen... All my meals are from scratch and I minimise UPFs to the bare minimum...only stock canned tomatoes and specialty condiments (e.g. oyster sauce). It takes 50 mins to an hour tops to cook. All it takes is planning and I've lost weight when I started preparing all my meals without cutting back on fried stuff red meats or saucy dishes. FFS you can make a delicious pork sirloin in white wine sauce + rice in just 30 mins.... If you're cooking legumes (and I make them at least 3 times a week) you just throw everything in a pot and then go watch the telly till it's done... Fish? That cooks faster than meat a salmon takes 5 mins to cook to medium... Once cooked hit your pan with pepper white wine shallots garlic butter and make a white sauce ... Goes with pasta, chips, rice or green leafy salad. I never understood why people complain about time when it comes to cooking. It's one measly hour a day and you can prepare 2-3 meals over weekend ... Freeze them, defrost and cook out as necessary. Let me tell you of my moussaka recipe when we're done 😂

[@sleepysarah.]

@@gm3190 I'm not sure if I'm being told off, lol 😂 I did say I was lucky enough to have the time, but I'm also up around 6.30 and have a busy day always but I make it a priority to cook things my family will eat, and that will feed them. I'm probably lucky that growing up, my children simply didn't like stuff children are 'supposed' to like, turkey dinosaurs, nuggets etc; not even the famous golden arch burgers. I started watching what I bought when I realised the puffed oat breakfast cereal I bought them was 50% sugar. Not everything I cook now I can guarantee is UPF free, I mean I buy pasta, I don't make that, but I do make the sauces from scratch, pesto, roasted vegetable or whatever. I use a food app to check if I'm not sure how much processing something has had, it's useful. Can't say I don't have UPF sometimes - if canned tomatoes or baked beans are UPF - but I tend to just use fresh ingredients.

[@gm3190]

​@@sleepysarah.One of the biggest shortcomings of the written word is that it lacks the colour we give when we talk face to face. You're not being told off.... obviously 😊. I am saying that people who say they don't have time they are full of it. It takes an hour or so to make food from scratch. It's a matter of planning. We spend more time on social media (KZbin included) than preparing meals. Interested in that moussaka recipe ?😊

[@sleepysarah.]

@@gm3190 I guessed I wasn't being told off but with the internet you never know...😄 I can see how people feel they're too busy to cook and that's up to them but it's always been something I've done. My children when younger weren't fussy but they didn't like convenience food, probably because they'd never had it. It was something I found as well when we went out anywhere, the only food on offer for children were nuggets, fish fingers, sausages and chips. I used to buy an adult main meal for them and ask for two plates and split it. I'm pretty polite so it never caused a problem! They're both vegetarian now, their choice as adults, and I do make a mean veggie moussaka! Thanks for the offer though!

[@lucyr5530]

what app do you use?

[@Off_the_clock_astrophysicist]

It is indeed easier to list the non-ultraprocessed food than it is to list the ultra-processed ones. The other day at the grocery store (USA), I commented to my husband about how many aisles we never used. We have a use for the fresh produce section. Out of the dairy aisle, we grab whole milk, whole plain yoghurt, real butter, eggs and occasionaly real cheese. We never touch the rest. We have gone mostly vegeterian so little comes from the meat department, but we do grab some once in a while. And fish. For the pantry, the basics (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, vinegar, olive oil etc...). Beverages at home include water, tea, and home made hot cocoa. My husband likes to drink coffee and alcohol on special occasions. We have been working on making our own sauces and are 90% of the way there. And that's hard core, but we bake our own bread and make our own noodles and pasta. With the proper equipment and careful planning, it's manageable for working people.

[@SameerSharma-gh8mg]

Even fresh fruits are ridden with toxic pesticides and fertilizers. We don't eat what our ancestors were eating 100 years ago.

[@oddvegan9797]

What is the reason you went vegetarian ?

[@Off_the_clock_astrophysicist]

@@oddvegan9797 I do eat meat, if occasionaly. There is no single reason. It happened gradually. First was a switch to a Korean diet when I met my husband. Korean cuisine has lots of options when it comes to delightfully seasoned vegetables and tofu based side dishes. Then there is the fact that inflation hit meat first, 2 decades ago. Later I became health conscious and further reduced the amount of meat in my diet because I thought that would be better for my health.

[@micheldumont292]

I have lost 30 pounds since this spring learning about ultra processed food and eliminate it from my diet along with 5 km walks daily. Im a celiac with a dairy allergy and cutting out all the gluten free processed foods are also a big factor , i make potato chips from scratch with a little salt and vinegar. the time it takes takes time but i eat less of them. Keep up the good work spreading the news.

[@PSA78]

Weight always comes down to calorie balance, it's just that some food is highly palatable and low satiating (like a lot of the so called "ultra processed") for the calorie content so we tend to eat too much. But good for you on making progress and feeling better. 🙂

[@Bluetangg]

Those walks are doing the most, I’ll bet.

[@PSA78]

@@Bluetangg That's something like 100 kcal of EAT, we don't use much energy for any exercise really. 30lb of mass equals 105000 kcal total deficit. But research show that we should walk >8000 steps per day to stay healthy.

[@LetThoseOatsRoll]

Wholefood diet and zero exercise with unlimited food intake. I've lost 50 kilos, 2 years now, off all medications. Keep eating chemicals if you're happy being a guinea pig for the food industry

[@tangerinebabe1]

I've lost ZERO pounds since I started cooking from scratch 😂 If anything I eat more because food is now amazingly delicious instead of bland salty stodge.

[@SpiritofTexas1590]

In the US, it is virtually impossible to avoid some form of processing in the food chain. Our health suffers because of corporate greed and lobbying of our government to relax food purity standards.

[@peter5.056]

Eat sweet potatoes, lentils, quinoa, rice, fruit, and broccoli until you figure it out!

[@renzo6490]

@@SpiritofTexas1590 They profit by poisoning us. Then, big Pharma profits by selling us “cures”.

[@embodymalikazitouni126]

Just buy single food ingredients !

[@peter5.056]

@@embodymalikazitouni126 and no chemically extracted ingredients especially oil;)

[@Off_the_clock_astrophysicist]

@@peter5.056 That's essentially what I am doing (my version of that), but I still think it's harmful not to have wholesome, easy, tasty treats at the store for people to grab. From a public health perspective, it's a disaster, as eating a spartan diet is too much to ask of everyone.

[@gm3190]

Margerine, condiments, cured meats (industrial) ready made meals, soft drinks, packaged juice (even those without sugar added) ready sauces (your marinara jar is not so innocent) long duration dairy... The list is virtually endless. But it's also a consumer preference issue. In the UK and much of Northern Europe 40-50% of groceries are UPFs. In Italy Greece Spain and France UPFs it's 10-20%.

[@Sad_Bumper_Sticker]

A caveat fresh unpasteurised 24-hour-sell-by carrot or apple juice cold pressed is healthy , it hold nutritional value. Not processed.

[@unimpressedsquidward3059]

Interested to know where can get these info

[@gm3190]

​@@Sad_Bumper_Stickerdon't disagree. I was referring to the juices you buy from the supermarket the so called all-natural with no added sugars.

[@IsabelLutz]

I'm not too sure about France. Judging from the youtube channels made in France it appears that on the other side of "la Manche" the problems with obesity & UPF's are quite the same. Also diabetes seems to be a big issue.

[@helendennis7662]

I’d be very surprised if those countries are as low as 10-20% now, we lived in Italy 20 years ago and the UPFs and western fast food were already prevalent then, broke my heart to see obese little kids with a McDonald’s paper bag in the back of the car. Auchan and Carrefour had made massive inroads there, luckily these countries have strong food culture but I don’t expect food in Italy to always be made from scratch now, or not be cooked with cheap, refined cooking oils - businesses all have to keep costs reasonable. Now living in Bulgaria and it’s going the same way, rapidly. Much as I use the big chain supermarkets here (Lidl, Kaufland, Billa) the infiltration of ready meals and convenience foods is everywhere. One morning I saw a group of primary age kids walking to school with their energy drinks and a little brown bakery bag outside Lidl 😢

[@barunkumar2584]

I listen BBC for improve my IELTS listening test.

[@shaheenbhoola]

Friend. The correct way to say the above is I listen to BBC to improve...

[@mattstirling7494]

@@shaheenbhoola "Friend, the correct way to say the above is I listen to BBC to improve" would be the correct way to correct him. Single word sentences must always be conjugated in the imperative.

[@shaheenbhoola]

@@mattstirling7494 Friend, being unnecessarily and reduntantly pedantic about the above, would mean to write "I listen to the BBC in order to improve...". But I'm sure you get the idea.

[@mattstirling7494]

@@shaheenbhoola Friend, I love how you don't understand the irony of the situation.

[@e3chicago]

It’s all about moderation. Limiting what you should eat could be worse than eating a variety of food. Also if you feel and look healthy, you probably are. If you don’t, try cutting down processed food, the amount you eat, AND what you are using when cooking at home. So many people believe home cooking is better while it can be worse depending on what you actually cook. Again, if you feel and look healthy, you are probably eating just fine.

[@hannahkhin4938]

5 years ago I stopped drinking sweet drinks like Coca cola, Fanta , bobba tea, ect . I drink water instead. There was one time I got weird looks from people because I ordered a bottle of water instead of Boba tea at the bakery lol. But I'm proud of myself for keeping up my challenge of not drinking sweet drinks

[@risamaeve]

we're not going to move away from convenience foods until we reduce working hours so people have time to cook and shop properly. this is not individual's fault. no one has time or energy to cook from scratch with the hours we work.

[@jolenethiessen357]

This for sure is part of it. I only work part time and I have to cook from scratch due to having many allergies. It's not unusual for me to spend several hours a day on food prep, not including the time it takes for it to cook (like a roast, soup or stew). That's on top of the considerable DIY processing I do, like canning and freezing garden produce, baking in bulk and freezing, or drying items for long term storage. Or the gardening, for that matter. We also produce very little garbage. Most of our waste is compost, so we dump it in our home made composters (we have considerable vegetable gardens and flower beds). We only put out black (trash) bins once a month for pickup with a household of 7, vs some of my neighbour's putting it out weekly for a household of 2-3. Food packaging is part of it - the odd time we do eat packaged food I sure notice our trash filling up. I am in Canada and our food culture is somewhere between the US and the UK (much like our spelling 😂).

[@lynncai587]

preach!

[@aisoconcranberriesu2as]

True

[@davidlewis1787]

Dark chocolate is good for us, as long as it’s not got a high sugar content.

[@Angel-xb7xr]

I think we've become lazy... we live in an age of convenience, especially in the West. We are now so far removed from how we used to buy or grow food from scratch.

[@introusas]

Yes, every single person on earth became “lazy” at the same time for no reason 🙄 it’s not the multi billion dollar corporations who pump endless amounts of money into making these foods as convenient and addictive as possible. You should use your brain for 2 seconds before posting braindead comments like that

[@peter5.056]

I'm certainly an outlier, but for the last 12 years, I've not allowed a single ultra-processed food into my mouth. I felt about it so strongly, I went back to school to complete my degree in human nutrition. I cook 100% of my food from scratch, absolutely without exception. If you all realized just how incredibly dangerous ultra processed foods are, you would never allow them into your mouth. Even Nova group 3 (processed) foods are banned in my life. Nearly everything I eat is Nova group 1 foods, perhaps 5% are Nova group 2, mostly things like salt, sugar, starches, white flours. If you knew what I know, you'd ban group 3 and 4 from your lives, and add the oils from group 2 to that list. I like bread, so I got a grain grinder and a bread machine. I like sweets, so I buy dates by the case, some table sugar and maple syrup is okay. I love cereal, so I learned how to cook whole grains and make them delicious. I love muffins, so I learned how to bake them entirely from whole ingredients, not even any oil or butter, or significant amounts of table sugar.

[@kennethstauffer9220]

good for you!

[@peter5.056]

​@@28FlyingDutchman The reason you _think_ sugar is so bad, is because it usually comes in the form ultraprocessed foods. Minimally processed ingredients are fine.

[@RebekkaGerman]

How do you do when invited to someone's place? It's nearly impossible to avoid ultraprocessed food ans sugar when eating out of your place...

[@peter5.056]

@@RebekkaGerman I eat before I go out, and maybe bring food with me. Fruit, nuts, bread, and bean dips travel especially well;) Sugar is a non issue if the rest of your diet is unprocessed. The only reason you think sugar is harmful, is because people eat too much of it, and the rest of their diet is excessively processed.

[@kieranhoward4684]

@@peter5.056it’s because we are told. No sugar, no fat = weight loss. Well I mean in the short term it works. Our health system is too cowardly to confront processed foods. What I find incredible is we can act and spend money on Covid, but to hold companies accountable on food quality….

[@LittleMissTotoro]

I find that the difference is that when I make cookies (extremely delicious) I can maybe eat 2 or 3 before I get very full. When I buy shop cookies wrapped in plastic they are dry, don't taste of much but I can eat every single one in one sitting. And I am still hungry! Sure my cookies are made of sugary and syrup. I gain weight if I eat them very often. But there is something about the store-bought ones that seems to take over my brain and turn me into the cookie monster.

[@sinan.e]

The packs should be labelled Ultra Processed Food and there should be a rating on the label. The degree of processing must be indicated by a number with a rating between 1 and 5. For example, when buying a dairy product, processed milk is acceptable to me and its rating could be 1, whereas a product labelled ultra fat yoghurt should be a reason for me not to buy it.

[@johnfeehan3898]

Making your own bread is a very satisfying, healthy and cheaper alternative.

[@macsmiffy2197]

I want to know where these supermarkets are that sells all their fruit and vegetables loose as we’re always shown in pictures. All the supermarkets I have available sell everything in a plastic bag and I have no choice of how much I need to buy.

[@michaelwalsh9920]

Want to do some serious good for society? Replay this story weekly, nightly, and as much as possible! Brilliant, compassionate discussion!!

[@renzo6490]

I have decided to pay more for wholesome food when I consider what I save by not buying sodas, snacks and other unhealthful food.

[@FrozenDung]

My shop got cheaper when I cut out all the rubbish 'Snacks' I would eat.

[@sarahbarton2089]

Some scientists have suggested that there is a problem with the effect on the microbiome especially of emulsifiers which among other 'substances' can disrupt the 'good gut microbes.

[@growtocycle6992]

Do you think eggs are unhealthy? 😅

[@growtocycle6992]

Chickpeas?? This is rubbish

[@Bluetangg]

@@growtocycle6992 are these emulsifiers?

[@LetThoseOatsRoll]

Most emulsifiers are chemically-derived, keep eating chemicals if you are happy being a guinea pig for the food industry

[@isabellaprsk6194]

Do you have specific publications where I can read up on it?

[@Deku28947]

Not much of an expert if she is surprised stock cubes are ultra processed!

[@nicktw8688]

All ultra processed foods have one thing in common....the removal of fibre.

[@jadedjhypsi]

I love that you are covering this. I have been very conscientious about what I eat since I was around 19 and got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia ( I am now 54). I started paying attention to my body and learned very quickly that I always had a bad reaction to artificial and highly processed foods. I felt this was probably true for all people but the tolerances were just different in me.

[@grafito4438]

You shouldn't wait for science to say whats good or bad to eat. You already know it!

[@rezzieggg]

Exactly.

[@annemiura7767]

Of course” you can avoid them” ? You just have to do it.

[@Amelia-qm6bk]

Agreed

[@polliebain7450]

EXACTLY! 🙄🙄

[@sparklie962]

I'm not sure if grocery stores are laid out the same way in the UK, but in Canada a quick rule of thumb is to "shop the grocery perimeter." That's because all the whole foods, tend to be in the first aisle, the back and the far aisle. The interior aisles are packed with processed, packaged foods and so if you tend to just go up and down every aisle you'll be bombarded with ultra processed foods and outright junk.

[@Amelia-qm6bk]

@@sparklie962 Yes same here. I avoid the middle .

[@chrysalis4126]

Even wholemeal bread is processed.

[@fancyfrog6901]

14:04 You don't need an app to tell you whether industrially produced "food" is UPF or not. You look at the back of the package (it's *always* packaged) and go through the list of ingredients. The more things it lists you don't know the more UP it is. In particular if the list contains emulsifiers, modified starch, flavouring (doesn't matter whether artificial or natural). On the other hand, there is no need to throw out the baby with the bathwater: the aim is not to *avoid* UPF at all cost, but to *cut down* on it. So I would say, UP stock-cubes are OK as long as the rest of the meal is prepared from scratch. But the ready-made meal from the supermarket shelf is not OK.

[@nkengasong5078]

Contrary to what the guest speaker said, it's cheaper to make things from scratch

[@peter5.056]

My family of 3 saved about $100,000 over the last 10 years by cooking from scratch 100% of the time.

[@introusas]

it’s just way more time-consuming

[@peter5.056]

@@introusas I can prepare meals for everyone in my household in less time than it takes to drive to the grocery store. It's all about being prepared ahead of time. I do my grocery ordering online (time saver) I cook large batches of soups and stews instead of single serve meals, large batches of cooked starches. Bread machine takes one minute to get going. Like right now, I have lentil/vegetable stew on the stovetop. I cooked it two days ago so all I have to do is reheat it. I cut up a watermelon into two 6-quart bowls a few days ago and we're still eating off that. I have about 60 bananas, 20 oranges, 6 different nuts, peanut butter, almond butter, dates, banana muffins I made yesterday, if someone wants a quick snack. Having a thoroughly stocked pantry is a massive time saver. If ever I have failed to prepare, dinner can be as simple as cooked rolled oats topped with cinnamon, maple syrup, walnuts, and bananas, or pancakes made with flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar, and salt, topped with fresh or frozen fruit.

[@RogerMellie-yk3gw]

Of course it is. But it's time consuming. And UPFs are lush. Yes please

[@Madmat12]

How does one come to think stocked cubes, mayonnaise and mustard are not ultra processed? I always thought people knew that most ready-made things are likely to be ultra processed

[@steadystackin7250]

No its not impossible.

[@DLFfitness1]

So many people are addicted to processed foods. They have no desire to give them up. I’m always surprised when these same people give their children and grand children these products.

[@davew2452]

Crisps are cooked in harmful fats. BBC needs to do better research but at least some messages are getting out there. Low in fat is not healthy. A con by the food companies.

[@MsScherchen]

I make almost all my food, even mayonnaise, myself. Good tip: Make big portions for several days, freeze them in small portions, make a big bowl of salad without dressing af store it for 2-3 days in a closed food box.. I never use stok, it is not necessary, if you use good indgrediens, they will flavor your food, and salt and fresh or dried herbs with complete this. But, I am highly motivated, as processed/ultraprocessed food kloggs my system after a few days and I get to feel tired and low, digestion gets bad and joints sort of blow up causing pains. I believe it is a combination og all the kemikals/additives, in combination with the mixing of fat/carbohydrates and sugars as well as the overworked processes, all with the aim to get a precise taste as well as uniform teksture or crunchy and inviting colors. I mean, look at the food on sale, when you make or bake homemade, you never get these uniform results, it is just innatural.

[@Revelation2024]

As to whether ultra processed foods are harming us, you better eliminate them from your refrigerator. Then observe within a year about its effects. Take it as homework.

[@lks6248]

Mentioned ‘anxiety’ as an example of the effects of bad food, but not cancer….? Wow! 😮

[@That.Lady.withtheYarn]

More immediate effect. You can feel it that week versus simmering down the road.

[@thomastereszkiewicz2241]

they should have a red lable everytime a food company shrinks their package size which is becoming common practice with our food companies in USA

[@hasanurrahman4386]

The episode was a great one. I would love it. Thanks a lot.

[@Lunabohemia7777]

It all starts at home, I was lucky enough to come from a country where there were not such a choices, I grew up having healthy meals cooked from scratch, I was unaware that “those meals” were considered to be “healthy “ until I moved to live to a industrialized country. It’s easier to create healthy eating habits when they are taught at home since early childhood.

[@peter5.056]

Lots of oils are, even though being single ingredients, ultraprocessed. Any oil that's chemically processed is a UPF, the worst kind too!

[@AndrewBuckleBookReviews]

Probably the biggest offender of all

[@peter5.056]

@@AndrewBuckleBookReviews It's the one thing even the vegans and carnivores can agree on. Oil is horrendous for health. It causes blood cells to stick together even more so than animal fat. And the absolute worst thing we do, is combine vegetable oils with meat. Either source of fat will cause blood to become sticky, but the combination of the two is far worse than either one alone. And what do we eat all day? Animal foods fried in vegetable oil.

[@WinterGK]

Ultra processed means nothing. The question is what to avoid. Mixing and grinding etc does not make things unhealthy. Prossessed foods can be high in salt and sugar, and possibly some types of preservatives. This is what to look out for. Prosessed meat is a totally different category since its a class 1 carcinogen and proven to cause cancer

[@Forbrained]

Eating ultra processed food doesn't bring any joy. I always feel bad while eating it. I tend to crave for it when I'm sleep deprived.

[@rubysmoke7150]

great program! at 74 in my family growing up there was a huge contrast in food prep. Mother was all about quick and easy but my gran who lived close by was an organic gardener raised chickens and had a huge fruit orchard with every type of soft fruit and apples. The contrast was no contest and i learned how to can tomatoes freeze extra produce and this has been my practice too even raising three kids myself. As a treat when camping the smalls could pick out one can each of processed food and a variety pack of cereals. and a canned soda made without high fructose corn syrup. They always picked spaghetti O's. I think it matters to our health. We've avoided any bizarre diseases. I'm american and lived in the UK for a while and very fond of beans on toast.

[@Zinnia2023]

Watching from the Philippines here. Learned a bunch about UPFs. It is very hard to identify them but what to do??? Like you said, budget, time and convenience are the major decision factors for buying them. We all live in a fast paced life these days. And with the cost of living continously rising, we have no choice but to live in spaces that will limit our capacity to store fresh food and make them from scratch. Even with technology here to supposedly help us expedite things for u, there are more activities we have to do now than ever before. These are the consequences of living in the modern and convenient way. We have to be mindful and firm in choosing the less UTFs if we want to avoid getting sick as being sick is definitely an added cost to our daily budget.

[@tarabooartarmy3654]

I eat mostly WFPB (whole food, plant-based) so it’s pretty easy to avoid UPFs. I eat fruit, vegetables, and whole, intact grains (wheat berries, NOT wheat flour, for example). That said, I do occasionally eat processed food, but I feel so much better sticking to mainly unprocessed foods.

[@megan9825]

It’s very disheartening to know, at least here in the U.S., the fresh foods are contaminated and there’s UPFs everywhere. Even the organic foods are suspect, I used to work on an organic farm and we were located next to an orchard that sprayed. We had a buffer, which was required, but still it is a lot to think about while shopping. 😢 great info and thank you for putting this out there!

[@joannebrauer2688]

I recently discovered how quick and easy it is to cook everything on a sheet pan and pop it in the oven. Smaller cuts of meat and small cuts of vegetables to be roasted.

[@OurnameisLegion66]

How can you think fish fingers isn't ultra processed?

[@antongavutti4376]

.....¼ what you eat make you alive, ¾ what you eat make your pharmacy, hospital, doctors , diagnostic clinic & politicians RICH & ALIVE....

[@bingofingers]

I think its more realistic to go for a reduced ratio of ultra processed food rather than stressing your self out over 100% purity. A figure thats often quoted is moving from the average of 60% UPF to 20%. You can buy a bread maker to bake your own bread and make dough for pizzas and baguettes (once you have the drill it literally should take 5 minutes) . You can make batch make sauces and freeze them. If you want to use UPF ingredients look carefully at the label - usually the cheaper variants will show emulsifiers, oils and chemicals you have never heard of, whilst the mores expensive whilst still being UPF will contain far less. Stock cubes is a good example of this as is mustard and pesto. Snack on fruit and nuts - nuts will fill you up with their high protein content. But the most important thing is don't stress yourself out - be aware and do what you can manage.

[@starmanjesus5679]

‘You haven’t got the time’ Dear but you spend hours watching chefs cooking things on Tv come on

[@jim4910]

They’re making creating a stock sound like a big deal, it’s really not. Start it when you start dinner or lunch, most of it is just letting it simmer/boil away.

[@Bluetangg]

Calling someone “dear” doesn’t hide your disrespect.

[@starmanjesus5679]

@@Bluetangg take it easy dear

[@1112viggo]

Always you hear this same argument in the debate "busy career people and parents don't have time to cook healthy" Then YOU are prioritizing wrong! Seriously, if of all the thousands things you do every day, cooking is the one thing you forgo spending time on, then you deserve to be unhealthy. YOU made the choice to doodle on your smartphone for 20 minutes instead of making rice and vegetables. Cooking healthy food is not an hourly long ordeal, it is not complicated or even expensive- Unless you insist on making those vegan dishes and stuff they always recommend on morning shows and health magazines.

[@catherine3997]

Living in France, going to the market is a pleasure. How can you eat ladies bread which is not fresh?

[@chrisj8764]

The French do it right!

[@PSA78]

Not everyone has the luxury of having lots of food easily accessible, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with some natural preservatives to make it last a couple of days so it can be transported, stored and not wasted (on of the big contributors for climate change by the way). Fear mongering things that people need to live, and doing so from a privileged position, that's a rather disgusting behaviour.

[@RebekkaGerman]

Oui mais faire le marché ça reste quand même cher...

[@GeckoHiker]

I stopped consuming processed foods in the 1960s. In fact, I now grow most of my food and buy certain whole foods in bulk. We have no dairy, wheat, corn, or soybeans in our diet. That rules out 96% of retail products. Even our chickens are free-range and eat a natural diet. We only eat their eggs. We grow maize and process it to make masa. It is very possible to avoid manufactured faux-foods with a little effort.

[@ModelkitStuff]

It's actually easy to remove processed food from your diet if you can get in the right mindset. my processed food intake is less than 3% now and my kids are probably at less than 30%. and the benefits are huge, I sleep better, have better skin, better mood, no longer have IBS and have reduced my stress levels. simply add lots more veg then slowly reduce the amount of meat in your diet. 30 plants a week is the aim and its easy. cup off coffee =1 before you even think about it.

[@bixby451]

I am from Chile, and the example you showed is real. Those black label are very useful, I personally try to avoid products with the black labels, the more labels the worse for your health. That doesn't mean I don't consume any UPF's but I am more mindful of what I am consuming thanks to those labels. I'd also like to add that the government also prohibited cartoon characters on products marketed towards children (cereals, snack, etc), so for example cereal boxes can't have Tony the tiger from Frosted Flakes or the elephant from Choco Krispies. I think Mexico is doing the same in terms of labeling which is awesome, I'd love to see more places using our example.

[@veronikam3836]

It's not that hard, actually. If your grandmother used it back in the day, it probably isn't ultraprocessed. People just lost touch with reality.

[@happycook6737]

My grandma used UP foods from the 1950's onwards like Velveeta, Campbell's, Wonderbread, etc.

[@barbaraparker6996]

Yes it is possible. I eat meat with the fats, eggs and butter. Drink only water and coffee. 5 months in and l feel terrific. Carnivore diet is the best thing l've ever done for myself. I've lost 20 lbs so far and when l lose 10 more l may include the lowest of the carb veggies. Maybe.

[@yveeriksson7437]

Broth cubes are easily avoided. Do like the Spanish and Italian people do, sofritto. Google it! About crisps, there are bad ones and ultra bad ones. For ex Pringles only contain about 45% potatoes, the remaining 55% is all that glue, emulsifiers etc. When I buy crisps (potato chips), I make sure the contain at least 65% potatoes.

[@taffyalusa4642]

Massive increase in type 2 diabetes, third of population are prediabetic and don't even know it. Processed food has definitely contributed.

[@MPM6785ChitChat]

Not a problem for me because even as a child never liked fizzy drinks , cereals, pizza, butter, fast foods etc. My parents preferred dark chocolate so l have that - plus nuts ,black coffee all organic. I like alcohol so if l need a mixer for cocktails , etc - rarely as I prefer wine and cider, it will be out of a glass bottle. Not so fussed whether organic.🎉 What really made it easy was that l could always taste and smell plastic and cardboard on processed food. So l made my own ice cream ( no dairy) and cold drinks with lemons, mint etc. Also, depending on the fruit and veg, I wash all first then peel everything as well. I go to restaurants but no chains and usually choose dishes made on site by chefs.

[@therealtoni]

Thank you for the information

[@anyawillowfan]

I'm glad you mentioned dietary needs and those that have little choice but to rely on UPF. I definitely think more research and understanding is needed, and more nuance (reviewing statements such as 'all UPFs are bad) is important.

[@DeborahThird-og1uo]

Just start re-running all those BBC nutrition films from back in the war.

[@That.Lady.withtheYarn]

Dr carrot. :). Mrs T and her cabbage patch

[@Bluetangg]

I thought palm and soy oil were one problem from ultra processed foods? Because of the way they are manufactured. Not simply squeezed like olive oil.

[@Angel-xb7xr]

So called 'vegetable' oils are harmful over time they're in everything that is processed. They cause inflammation and upset your biomicron (gut health) and autoimmune issues to to body. Best oils are coconut oil avocado oil and olive oil.

[@AndrewBuckleBookReviews]

Yes, surprising that was not mentioned ... the oils

[@roblloyd1879]

Had severe arthritis in my right hand for many years to the point were my doctor was considering steroid injections. I have also had back pain from a road accident when I was 16. I argued with a van and the van won. Had followed the government and NHS guidelines on diet for many years, cut out animal fats, used vegetable and seed oils, margarine and limited eggs and dairy. Red meats were very rare in my diet. After my wife passed away 4 years ago I decided to change my diet completely. Eliminated veg and seed oils, started eating lots of eggs, cheese, butter and dairy. Red meat often, particularly pork as it is a major source of essential nutrients. Cook mainly in animal fats. Cut down on carbs but still plenty of fruit and vegetables. Use olive oil and occasionally 'Cold Pressed' rapeseed oil. I cook from fresh or frozen with ready meals a rarity. Mainly a pizza once every couple of months as a treat. Within a year my arthritis had gone, I lost over 2 stone and I have just realised my back pain has gone. Not bad for an old codger aged 77. I can still chase the youngest grandchildren round and play garden badminton with them. My conclusion is 90% of good health is diet!!!! Always had backache from the age of 16 when I decided to argue with a van, the van won and I had a broken leg, a back injury and some short term memory brain damage. Over time the brain learns to ignore the pain although it is always present. Suddenly realised my back pain has gone. Says it all really. Diet is king!

[@afanks]

Since the Industrial Revolution, what we’ve lacked isn’t cheap calories but diverse, nutritious foods. To flood the public with low-cost calories, they’ve squeezed our time, making sure we’re too busy to enjoy a healthy meal and leaving us to buy their junk instead. As these cheap, empty calories dominate the market, they push out natural, nutritious options, driving up their prices and ensuring their low-grade, high-profit foods sell even more. As consumers, our only power is to treat our money like a vote-by spending consciously, we can reshape the market. It’s better to invest in real food, even if it means getting less of it, because honestly, most of us don’t need more calories anyway.

[@buhaymatamis]

General rule is if it's got a Nutrition label, it's not good for you. Minimize consuming the packaged stuff and you should be ok.

[@Julieglam3]

Not necessarily. It depends on how LONG that list is. Look for the LEAST amount of ingredients possible and exactly what they are.

[@Junkecom]

In short, “Eat natural foods.”

[@lisaleblanc9251]

Well, crap… Stock cubes! Bouillon cubes are ultra processed. That’s unfortunate because that is a base for a lot of my home-cooked meals! Also, I try to only use half of them at a time.

[@handyvickers]

As a first step, avoid all sugar (including all those things like fructose, gums, etc etc etc), and food that is easy to prepare and quick to digest (cereals, white bread, quick meals etc.). Our bodies are designed to take time to digest food, thus avoiding insulin spikes.

[@davidwilson5179]

Nice discussion

[@ppiriou]

In Argentina they banned all restaurants from using salt when cooking because they had too many people at hospitals because of high blood pressure, it worked!

[@vincewhite5087]

High fructose corn syrup. Big reason.

[@bernob9770]

Should be taxed more since it cost the public health system billions of dollars every year!

[@christineturner2964]

A lot of people who are elderly can't cook for themselves. While it is true that they would benifit from healthy meals some people simply don't have the energy and they live on a limited budget. Taxing the products that they rely on isn't the answer.

[@gerrardtin3208]

I don't appreciate the casual misandry at 11:00 - Dads also feed formula milk to their babies, not just Mums. Being informed about what I feed my children is the very reason I'm watching, not to tolerate sexist generalisations.

[@catche85]

I think the point was formula as opposed to breast milk, that's why mums were mentioned.

[@shameonyoufolks]

I avoid ultra-processed foods as much as possible by eating home-made meals. Sometimes, however, I cannot resist temptation of hamburgers and chiecken nuggets, and go to Mcdonald's or other fast food restaurant chains. It is difficult for me to eliminate ultra-processed foods completely.

[@wdmadsen13]

Of course it is possible. I quit 8 years ago and have never missed ultra processed food. It takes two things. Learn how to cook. There are tons of videos that teach that. Kick the food addiction. It takes about 3 weeks of giving up sugar, starch and processed food. There are videos for that too.

[@alaskabarb8089]

Not impossible, if one avoids 90% of the grocery store. Hit the vegetables, meat and dairy aisles, skip the rest.

[@dr.oct24]

As a only-one-year vegetarian, I'm a bit worried about ultra processed food since most of my meals are ready-to-cook and specifically for vegetarians. Preparing vegetables or beans from scratch takes a lot of time and isn't always delicious. I think I'll need to get a colon cancer checking in the near future. 😮 **Note:** "drop-set food" might need clarification if it's a specific term you meant to use, as it's not a commonly known phrase. If you meant a different type of food, you might want to use that term instead.

[@davew2452]

But bread turns to sugar.

[@ghulammustafa4011]

Good information in this discussion. Most of the food i eat I cook at home. Use dates and dried fruits for the sweetness Tab water which I boil most of the time.

[@Ash_beep]

As someone who’s had celiac disease since before there were upf gluten free foods, you don’t need them. Plus they’re more likely to be contaminated with gluten less than 40ppm than whole, unprocessed, naturally gf foods are too

[@Passiony-r]

In my neighborhood (St. Paul, Minnesota) we have a community effort of a group (Eureka Compass) of volunteers to cook healthy meals from scratch for the public three times per week. You pay what you can and can get fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, yougurt, beans and grains to take home for your own cooking. I'm saving money and eating healthier.

[@Yubin_Lee_Doramelin]

For South Koreans, it's still difficult to eat food which is made from scratch, because it's too expensive to do that. There is a statistical research showing that in S. Korea, eating out is much more inexpensive than cooking regular cuisine at home. Sadly, I don't know where the information come from, but when I go to the grocery store with my mother, she says every time that vegetables are so expensive that I can't eat salad...! So when we can't eat out or eat foreign food (like Sichuan Chinese or Indian) in my house, purchasing UPF is inevitable...

[@ilariadeclementi-ml1uk]

Wow…. What an amazing episode!

[@katsiarynapakhomava1936]

I don’t think cooking healthy takes that much time cause u don’t need extra complex meals 3 times a day! Steam a salmon fillet - less than a min prep time. Cut some speech and veggies into a salad- 5 minutes. Boil some chickpeas or lentils - prep time zero minutes. I think the challenge is more to get one’s taste buds to be reformatted - from extra sweet, or salty or super rich / flavorful stuff to simpler, normal meals. For me now with wholesome ingredients it doesn’t take more than 15 min of preparation max.

[@evodevo420]

I rely a lot on dairy products for my nutrition but it is still hard to avoid processed products. Even just regular plain old yogart is hard to come by

[@AndrewBuckleBookReviews]

Always love the full fat Greek yoghurt, probably still ultra processed but so much nicer than the flavoured sugar filled stuff.

[@introusas]

@@AndrewBuckleBookReviewsIt’s not ultra processed

[@lucycarola]

I only online shop my groceries. I can do this during downtimes. I can read every label, and take my time as well as stay on budget. It really helps full time working moms. And I’m a disabled, divorcee. lol so, I check a lot of those boxes. It’s not impossible. I also buy freshly cooked meals from whole foods or other places that focus on food foods. I also help folks that are on social welfare learn to do this as it maximizes their ability to buy healthy meals on limited budgets.

[@peter5.056]

I do exactly the same. FAR better to shop online, where you can take your time, and think more clearly.

[@zxenon_]

Wow, her pronunciation of Jean-Claude was 🔥 8:16

[@annieho9233]

This is very helpful. Thank you. Where I live it is still possible to buy whole food and cook from scratch. As Ruth advised, we can actually try to do so say once or twice a week. I also think we need to be 'time rich' to do that.

[@annasutton8078]

It's easy to do. Cook from fresh, grow your own if you can. Make your own wholemeal bread, delicious and additive free.

[@JessicaK-hp3rk]

Ever since i had a baby last year, i started cooking a lot more for her. But, i dont have the time and energy to cook for myself so i usually skip dinner or order something.

[@introusas]

Set an example. Keep your body healthy for your child. Not taking care of yourself is selfish.

[@happycook6737]

By 1 year of age most babies can eat adult food so why can't you eat what you make for the kid? Children in most countries eat the same as their families.

[@JessicaK-hp3rk]

​@happycook6737 Well, keeping it clean, saltless, and sugarless is very hard when most food in the grocery store have them. I dont use sugar and I rarely use salt. So I basically have to make everything from scratch. I'm learning new recipes, but it's hard when you don't stay home all day. Besides, fresh vegetables are getting very expensive where I live. So I just make a small amount of steamed or boiled vegetables for my baby.

[@Arifkhan-mb7po]

Topic is very helpful for IELTS candidate