Highly processed foods have been demonized for decades, with dire warnings that they make us fat and increase our risk of cancer.
But leading nutrition experts today claimed some were unfairly vilified.
Baked beans, fish fingers and whole grain bread can all be part of a healthy diet, according to the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF).
Tomato-based pasta sauces, whole grains and fruit yoghurt were also given the all-clear and labeled as “healthier processed foods”.
The BNF charity admits they’re a source of “essential nutrients” as well as “convenient and affordable.”
Baked beans, fish fingers and whole grain bread can be “part of a healthy diet” and are a source of “some important nutrients”, according to the British Nutrition Foundation.
Nutrition experts have outlined what options can be “part of a healthy diet”. Baked beans, fish fingers and whole wheat bread all make the cut, according to the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF). Tomato-based pasta sauces, whole grain breakfast cereals and fruit yogurt are also “healthier processed foods,” the charity said
Any edible that is made with colourings, sweeteners and preservatives automatically falls into the ultra-processed food category under the Nova food classification system.
It was developed in 2009 by a Brazilian scientist to group foods in relation to the processes they go through.
It has since been used by hundreds of scientists to study the link between eating habits and disease.
Dozens of studies have warned of the risk of eating too much ultra-processed foods, including cookies, cakes, chips, ready meals, sausages, fries and sodas.
But some experts have warned that the label is vague and paints “perfectly fine” food as “unhealthy”.
Some nations, like France, Belgium and Brazil, have used ultra-processed foods in official guidelines, advising people to eat less.
But the UK and US have so far avoided doing this, instead focusing on calories, salt and sugar and providing advice on eating fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
Now the BNF has issued a statement urging the government to stop including ultra-processed foods in national dietary guidelines.
She warned that there was “a lack of an agreed definition” of what foods fall into the category and feared they would be “useful as a tool to identify healthier products”.
For example, foods like whole wheat bread, whole grain breakfast cereals and baked beans are also typically classified as ultra-processed, but “these can be a convenient and affordable source of some important nutrients,” the BNF said.
Bridget Benelam, a BNF spokeswoman, said: “For many of us, when we come home after a busy day, foods like baked beans, whole grain toast, fish fingers or ready-made pasta sauces are an affordable way to put a balanced meal on the table fast.
“These can be classified as ultra-processed, but can still be part of a healthy diet.”
She added: “It’s great when you can cook from scratch when you have the time, but I know for me as a working parent that’s often not an option.
“We need to make healthy eating easier and more affordable, not harder and more expensive.
Nutritionists divide foods into three groups based on the amount of processing they have undergone. Minimally processed foods like apples are usually exactly as they appear in nature. Processed foods like applesauce have undergone at least one processing stage that has altered their original form. In contrast, ultra-processed foods like apple gummies have gone through multiple stages of processing and are usually full of added fats, colorings, and preservatives
“Choosing healthier processed foods is one way to help people incorporate healthy eating into their lives.”
The BNF also released the results of a survey that asked more than 2,000 Britons about ultra-processed foods.
It showed that almost half of the people (46 percent) had heard of this category and a third tried to eliminate these foods from their diet.
Ready meals, vegetarian meat alternatives, store-bought burgers, cereal with added sugar, and store-bought sausages were the foods most commonly recognized as ultra-processed, the results showed.
However, fewer people classified baked beans (nine percent), low-fat fruit yogurts (10 percent), ice cream (14 percent, and sliced bread (19 percent)) as ultra-processed.
The survey also found that most people agreed that cooking from scratch was better than using processed foods (68 percent).
However, nearly half agreed that a healthy, balanced diet can include some processed foods and that processed foods can come in handy for saving time when preparing meals.
It comes after TV doctor Chris van Tulleken shared the results of a month-long experiment in which 80 per cent of his diet consisted of ultra-processed foods.
He shared that he had gained 6kg and was left aching, tired, angry and like he had aged ten years.
MRI scans showed his brain had started developing new pathways normally related to addictive substance use rather than food.
dr van Tulleken said: “Until recently, most scientists believed that food could not possibly be addictive.
“Yet I know from my experience that I felt very strongly ‘addicted’ to certain types of ultra-processed foods (mainly takeaways).”
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grain, according to the NHS
• Eat at least 5 servings of varied fruit and vegetables daily. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Base meals based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This equates to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole wheat biscuits, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread, and 1 large baked potato with its skin on
• Have some dairy products or dairy alternatives (like soy drinks) and choose lower-fat, lower-sugar options
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish per week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water daily
• Adults should consume less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men per day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
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