Food: more real products, less packaging

There is a lot of noise around nutrition and often contradictory advice. One simple direction, however, is confirmed again and again: it is better for most of what we eat to be close to its natural state. Vegetables, fruit, pulses, nuts, wholegrains, fish, eggs, yoghurt.

What “ultra-processed” food means
These are industrial products, often with a long list of ingredients we rarely use in the kitchen: flavour enhancers, colourings, emulsifiers. Examples are many sweet drinks, packaged snacks, ready meals and some processed meats. Bread, cheese or frozen vegetables do not necessarily belong to this group.

What research shows
In a controlled experiment from 2019, 20 adults lived in a clinic and ate two types of food for two weeks each: ultra-processed and almost unprocessed. The calories, sugar, fat and fibre on offer were matched, and people ate as much as they wanted. On the ultra-processed food they ate on average about 500 kilocalories more per day and gained about 0.9 kg, and on the other food they lost roughly the same. The study is small and short, but it shows that the type of food can change how much we eat.

A large review in the BMJ from 2024 links higher consumption of ultra-processed foods with worse results on 32 health indicators, including cardiovascular, metabolic and mental health. These are mainly observations: they show a link, not proof of cause, and researchers are still discussing the mechanisms.

A review in The Lancet from 2019, commissioned by the World Health Organization, links more fibre and wholegrains with a lower risk of some chronic diseases.

The World Health Organization’s guidelines

• At least 400 g of fruit and vegetables a day (not counting potatoes and other starchy roots).
• At least 25 g of fibre a day from natural sources for adults.
• Free sugars under 10% of daily calories, and ideally under 5%. They include the sugar in honey and fruit juices.
• Salt under 5 g a day.

One small change a week

• Add a vegetable to lunch instead of taking something away.
• Swap a sweet drink for water or unsweetened tea.
• Include beans, lentils or chickpeas in your weekly menu.
• Choose wholegrain bread or oats.
• Look at the label: if you do not recognise most of the ingredients, look for a simpler alternative.

Sometimes ready-made food is simply what we can manage with our time and energy, and there is no need for guilt. With an illness, pregnancy or an eating disorder, talk to a doctor or dietitian before changing the way you eat.

Eating can be one of the most everyday forms of care for yourself. This article gives general information and is not medical advice.