Nutritionist reveals top swaps for ultra processed foods

Ultra-processed foods have become a staple in many diets due to their convenience and taste. However, these foods are often packed with unhealthy additives, excessive sugar, and unhealthy fats, which can contribute to various health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

The good news is that avoiding UPFs doesn’t mean sacrificing delicious, satisfying meals or spending hours making alternatives from scratch. 

By making some simple food swaps and opting for whole, minimally processed ingredients, you can enjoy a healthier diet and reduce your risk of various lifestyle diseases without compromising on taste or convenience.

I’m Tamara Willner, a nutritionist with NHS-trusted, award-winning healthy eating plan Second Nature, which uses behavioural science to ‘rewire’ people’s bad eating habits and helps to ‘reverse’ type 2 diabetes.

You’ll notice that UPFs are often marketed as ‘high in fibre’, ‘high in protein’, ‘no added sugar’ or ‘one of your five-a-day’. 

It’s not that these claims are false or a bad thing, however it’s all the other ingredients around these fortifications that give reason to avoid UPFs where possible.

The majority of UPFs contain a host of less healthy ingredients in order to retain flavour, keep them cheap for producers to make, and keep us coming back to buy more. 

Every element of UPFs is specifically engineered to be addictive, from the precise ratio of ingredients and the branding, to the position in the supermarket.

Wholefoods on the other hand, are usually made out of one or just a few ingredients, all of which are recognisable to most people. 

They don’t contain ‘fake’ ingredients such as artificial sweeteners, added sugar, preservatives, or thickeners. They are therefore a reliable and trustworthy way to get the nutrients we need and keep us fuller for longer, whilst being equally delicious.

It’s worth noting that having the occasional UPF is unlikely to cause us any harm and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet. It’s when UPFs become part of our daily life that we should consider making some dietary changes.

Here are 10 simple food swaps demonstrating that we don’t need to opt for UPFs for taste or convenience:

White bread to seeded rye bread 

White bread is extremely refined and contains little fibre or protein, which keep us fuller for longer and prevent spikes in our blood sugar levels. 

It also usually contains sugar, which isn’t a necessary ingredient for bread. Contrastingly, seeded rye bread is much more nutrient dense, keeping you full and satisfied for longer without spiking your blood sugar levels. 

The addition of seeds in bread provides a further source of protein, vitamins, and fibre.

Shop-bought cakes to homemade three-ingredient oat bites 

Shop-bought cakes are mainly ultra-processed and loaded with sugar and unhealthy additives. 

When you fancy something sweet, consider swapping these for homemade oat bites, which are just as delicious and can be made in just 20 minutes. 

These are quick to make and only require three ingredients: oats, bananas, and unsweetened peanut butter (you can also add some 90% dark chocolate chunks if you’re craving chocolate). 

To make 8 oat bites, simply mix 2 mashed bananas with ~100g of oats and 2 tbsp peanut butter (and optional dark chocolate chunks), form into bite-sized balls, and bake for about 15 mins at 180°C.

Flavoured yoghurt to natural Greek yoghurt with berries 

Flavoured yoghurts are usually very high in sugar or artificial alternatives. Many flavoured yoghurts are marketed as ‘low fat’ so they appear healthy, however in order to preserve the taste usually the fat is replaced with sugar or sweeteners. T

he reduction in fat means the flavoured yoghurt won’t keep you feeling full for long, and we’re then more likely to reach for other snacks. 

Plain Greek yoghurt is a great source of protein, calcium, and probiotics, supporting digestive health and overall well-being. 

To jazz up your yoghurt breakfast or snack, consider topping with a handful of fresh berries for natural sweetness, antioxidants, fibre, and essential vitamins. 

You could also add a small handful of nuts or seeds for added texture.

Shop-bought cereals to porridge or yoghurt with seeds, nuts, and fruit 

Shop-bought cereals are very refined and often high in added sugars and artificial ingredients. 

Consider updating your breakfast to porridge or natural Greek yoghurt, topped with fruit and seeds or nuts. 

You can get inventive here and try different combinations depending on your taste preferences, for example chopped apple with cinnamon and walnuts, or raspberries with unsweetened peanut butter and a sprinkling of chia seeds.

Porridge oats are a fantastic wholefood source of fibre and complex carbohydrates, whereas natural Greek yoghurt is a brilliant source of protein. 

The addition of fruits adds natural sweetness, with a host of vitamins, whereas nuts and seeds provide extra fibre, protein, and further nutrients. 

These two options will keep us much fuller for longer and provide a nutritionally balanced meal.

Pasta sauce to tinned tomatoes with stock and seasoning 

Pasta sauces usually contain a huge amount of sugar and many ingredients we wouldn’t be able to identify. 

Consider swapping pre-made pasta sauces for a wholefood, homemade alternative which is just as quick and easy. 

In a small saucepan add a tin of chopped tomatoes, a spoon of tomato paste, some vegetable stock (or any stock you have), a sprinkle of dried mixed herbs, and some pepper. 

Let the mixture warm up and simmer for ~5 minutes and serve with your dish.

Ice cream to homemade banana ‘nice cream’ 

As the temperature heats up for summer, it can be convenient to have an ice cream alternative for when you fancy something cold and sweet. 

Ultra-processed ice cream is very high in sugar as well as less healthy fats and artificial additives. 

For a healthier, wholefood alternative, keep some peeled and roughly chopped banana pieces in your freezer this summer. 

When you fancy some ice cream, simply add some banana pieces (the rough equivalent to 1 banana per person), 1 tbsp of unsweetened peanut butter, 1 tsp of cacao powder and then blend until smooth and creamy. 

The result is a delicious, cold, creamy banana, chocolate, and peanut dessert. 

If you want a thinner, more milkshake-like texture you can add a dash of milk and blend again. 

Depending on what you feel like, you can customise your banana ‘nice cream’ with healthy toppings like berries, seeds, or 90% dark chocolate chunks.

Crisps to olives or a handful of nuts/seeds 

Crisps are an extremely processed snack and are also very high in refined carbohydrates. 

This means that they won’t keep us feeling full for long and can spike your blood sugar levels, potentially leading to lower energy or further cravings later on in the day. 

On top of that, they’re engineered to taste addictive and are, therefore, very easy to overeat. 

Next time you’re feeling like a salty, savoury snack, try swapping a bag of crisps for a small cup of olives or a handful of mixed nuts. 

These options will satisfy you for longer as they’re much lower in carbohydrate but higher in protein and healthy fats. 

They’ll also be digested a lot slower, resulting in less spikes in blood sugar levels.

Ready meals to stir fries or scrambled eggs 

Despite being convenient and quick, ready meals usually consist of many ultra-processed ingredients and can be high in sugar. 

On top of this, in order to keep them cheap to produce, you’ll find that many ready meals contain higher amounts of ‘cheaper’ carbohydrates, like white rice or pasta, and lower amounts of ‘expensive’ protein sources, like chicken or fish. 

Next time you’re in a rush, opt for a speedy wholefood meal instead, which can naturally be higher in protein and healthy fats and lower in carbohydrates, keeping you fuller for longer. 

For example, a stir fry can be cooked in approximately 10 minutes and all in one pan (minimising washing up time), with any vegetables you have in the fridge (or a packet of ready-to-cook stir fry vegetables), some sliced chicken or tofu, topped with soy sauce, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of lime. 

Another quick-and-easy option is simply scrambling two eggs and having them with a simple salad, such as tomatoes, cucumber, rocket and a crumble of feta on top, which can also be ready in around 10 minutes with minimal washing up.

Protein bars to boiled eggs, cheese, or nuts 

Most protein bars are loaded with artificial ingredients and rely heavily on sweeteners so that they can make ‘sugar free’ and ‘low carb’ claims. 

Those claims are true, but don’t touch on the many other ingredients in the list, which most people wouldn’t recognise as food. 

Overeating foods like this can lead to an increase in our cravings for sweet foods. If you’re looking to get a protein fix, consider alternative wholefood, high-protein snacks, such as two boiled eggs, a few finger-sized slices of cheese, a handful of nuts, or 1 tbsp of unsweetened peanut butter on apple slices. 

All these options will keep you feeling fuller for longer, due to the protein and healthy fat content, and are high in vitamins and minerals to support overall health.

Ultra-processed fizzy and flavoured drinks to milk, herbal tea, or sparkling water

Most of the drinks that we can buy off of a supermarket shelf are extremely high in sugar and/or artificial sweeteners, which explains the fake, bright colours usually associated with these drinks. 

They also make it very easy to over consume these ingredients, as drinking liquid is easier and arguably less mindful than chewing food. 

The best beverage we can give our bodies is water, but when you’re feeling like you want something more, try reaching instead for a glass of milk, a herbal tea (such as peppermint or lemon and ginger), or a glass of sparkling water (with some fruit in for extra flavour). 

These options will all hydrate your body or provide some nutrients, without the copious amounts of excess sugar.

Tamara Willner is a nutritionist with NHS-trusted, award-winning healthy eating plan Second Nature, which uses behavioural science to ‘rewire’ people’s bad eating habits and helps to ‘reverse’ type 2 diabetes.