HOW BAD IS YOUR DIET?
Rachel Tompkins, 44, found her family consumes far too much ultra-processed food, so she decided to take action
Iwas in the supermarket recently, queuing to pay for my trolley-load of food, when I spied the woman in front of me loading the conveyor belt with a colourful array of good stuff – tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, apples, fresh chicken breasts… I suddenly felt rather ashamed of my own haul which included a multipack of crisps, chocolate breakfast cereals and my sons’ favourite, curly fries. My husband and I both work fulltime – me as a writer – while juggling looking after our sons Rory, 11, and Seb, seven, so when it comes to meals it is easier to opt for something you can pop in the microwave or oven than it is to make it from scratch. And we are not alone. Recent research shows consumers eat more ultraprocessed foods (UPF) in the UK than anywhere else in Europe, and almost 60% of an adult’s daily diet is made up of junk. I was determined my family would do better. But could all four of us really go a week without any ultraprocessed food? Here’s how we got on.
Day 1
The first job was a trip to the supermarket to stock up on ultra-processed food alternatives. Instead of chocolate breakfast cereals, I pick up porridge oats – at a third of the cost too! The frozen potato waffles and chicken nuggets I call on for speedy dinners are replaced with chicken breasts and potatoes, and instead of biscuits, crisps and chocolate bars that the boys snack on in the car home from school, I get nuts, dried fruits and fresh fruit. Back home I make a chicken and butternut squash curry from scratch. There are no complaints when I dish it up with brown rice. But I must admit, having to forgo my usual evening treat of chocolate buttons is really hard!
Day 2
Today we have time to cook breakfast. The homemade pancakes made with oats, bananas and eggs, topped with blueberries and honey, go down well, although Seb is perturbed about not being allowed to have his usual Nutella. The boys have rugby later and often get a hot dog and chips from the clubhouse after. That isn’t an option today though. So I put some diced beef, veg, onions, herbs and new potatoes into the slow cooker before we leave. We come home to a steaming, tender stew.
Day 3
Usually the boys have breakfast cereal before school. At first it was low-sugar wholegrain cereals, but over the years they’ve persuaded me to let them have sugary alternatives. Today I make scrambled eggs and toast. Apparently, most supermarket-bought sliced bread is ultra-processed, so I’ve bought fresh bread from our local farm shop. It was more expensive but my husband Rory and I love it. Seb takes one bite of the scrambled egg and refuses to eat any of it. Later, he’s even less pleased when, in the car home from school, I hand out fruit
Ultraprocessed foods often contain high levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar. Eating them leaves less room in our diets for more nutritious foods and it’s been suggested that the additives in these foods could harm health.
instead of biscuits or crisps. But the fact they haven’t filled up with rubbish does mean that the boys eat all their dinner – salmon, brown rice, broccoli and lemon.
Day 4
After yesterday’s scrambled-egg stand-off I make porridge for breakfast, with a selection of toppings including honey, berries, nuts and seeds. The boys drown theirs in so much honey I’m not convinced they are eating any less sugar than usual, but I enjoy mine with a bit of cinnamon, nuts and berries. I feel more full than I do after eating cereal, and I have more energy too. I even surprise myself and go on a walk around our neighbourhood, making the most of this energy surge. Lunch for me is an omelette and for dinner we all have spaghetti bolognese with a sauce made from scratch. My husband and I both agree that we feel a lot less lethargic after starting this challenge.
Day 5
We wake up late today, with no time to cook breakfast. I had wondered if there were any cereals not classed as ultra-processed. An online search hadn’t yielded a straightforward answer, but I finally found Shredded Wheat is an exception. Something to do with the fact the ‘cereal matrix is not
samnedway exploded’ in the as other cereals! So now it’s Shredded Wheat all round. The boys have lunch at school again and I have leftover spaghetti bolognese. Dinner is roast chicken, roast potatoes and vegetables. It is only when I reach for the gravy granules that I realise it counts as an ultra-processed food. The boys moan that the dinner is a bit dry and they’re right. Next time I’ll plan ahead and make my own.
Day 6
Breakfast is proving the hardest meal of the day to keep the boys happy. Today we all have Shredded Wheat with fruit, and lunch is leftover chicken and salad. I’m thrilled when I bump into a friend while doing a top-up shop and she tells me I look great. I’m sure this new diet has given my skin a healthy glow. Spurred on, for dinner I cook leftover chicken with brown rice, garlic and tomato into a type of risotto. Everyone tucks in and I feel really proud of how well we are doing. As I sit in front of the TV that night after the boys have gone to bed
I realise I haven’t eaten chocolate for six whole days and I’m impressed with myself.
Day 7
Breakfast is, yet again, Shredded Wheat. Lunch is a jacket potato with cheese, but instead of having a takeaway tonight as we often do at the weekend, I make stir-fry with prawns and vegetables, seasoned with garlic and herbs. When I offer natural yogurt and strawberries instead of ice cream for pudding, I’m met with a resounding no! Admittedly, nothing really compares to ice cream though, does it?