2024-01-20 09:33:38
Rob Hobson has decided to give up extremely processed foods. Rob Hobson/Getty Images
Ultra-processed foods, or UPF, contain ingredients you wouldn’t find at home – and they’re everywhere.
Diets high in UPF have been linked to weight gain, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes.
Nutritionist Rob Hobson shares three ways he reduces the amount of highly processed foods in his diet.
After reading a book about ultra-processed foods, Rob Hobson realized that although he had a largely healthy diet, much of what he ate was heavily processed. Even his packaged whole wheat bread and hummus from the supermarket.
For example, his store-bought lunch when he worked in the office typically consisted of a protein bar, a fruit yogurt, and a bagel with sliced ham. All count as unprocessed foods.
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There is no uniform definition of what counts as UPF. Hobson, a registered British nutritionist with 18 years’ experience, describes them as convenience foods that contain at least five ingredients, many of which you wouldn’t find in your own kitchen. They usually have a long shelf life. They also come in heavily marketed packaging, Hobson told Business Insider.
In recent years, highly processed foods have come more and more into the spotlight. Research has found a link between diets high in UPF and an increased risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, Hobson said. They are also linked to overeating and weight gain because they tend to be very tasty. The reason why processed foods are bad for our health is not yet fully understood. But the evidence for this is growing.
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As he delved deeper into the science, Hobson decided to reduce his consumption of extremely processed foods as much as possible. However, it is not too strict, as highly processed foods are found everywhere and avoiding them would be unrealistic.
Instead, he focuses on cooking more food from scratch since he can control the ingredients used. He tries to make healthy choices. He describes how to do this in his new book ‘Unprocess Your Life.’
Hobson told BI about three things that helped him reduce his consumption of highly processed foods.
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Pre-cook larger quantities
Part of the appeal of UPFs is that they’re convenient, says Hobson. It’s easier to buy a pre-made sandwich or pop a frozen pizza in the oven than to cook a meal from scratch. Therefore, Hobson cooks some of his meals in larger batches to make his diet more convenient with less pre-prepared foods. “It’s really nice knowing I have something in the freezer and not having to worry about cooking it,” he explains. Hobson also says it makes him order food much less often.
He enjoys cooking one-pot recipes like curries, stews and tagines, dividing them into individual portions and placing them in microwave-safe containers. This way they can be frozen and reheated in the microwave without having to thaw them first. Or he can take them out of the fridge and eat them for lunch at work.
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Prepare meals
Another technique that makes cooking at home easier for him is meal prepping. Rob Hobson thinks about which recipes he wants to cook during the week and when he has time for them.
“If you want to change your diet, you have to take some time to think about what you eat. It doesn’t just magically happen,” he says. Once he chooses his recipes, he orders the groceries online, which is easier for him than rushing through the supermarket.
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Make sauces like ketchup at home
Making his sauces and some other staples from scratch allows Hobson to avoid highly processed foods. Since he likes his morning eggs with hot sauce, he makes them himself. He only uses ingredients that you would find in a normal kitchen. He also makes ketchup, coconut milk and nut butter himself.
If stored refrigerated and in a sealed container, his ketchup will last up to three weeks and his hot sauce will last up to three months.
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