5 ‘healthy' foods you may not realise are ultra-processed
Hiyah Zaidi Published June 5, 2025 12:55pm Link is copied Comments There is a slew of information telling us how bad ultra-processed food is for us. The term may conjure up images of sweetened breakfast cereals or soft drinks, but there are a few foods which are marketed as 'healthy' but are actually ultra-processed and may not provide you with the nutrition you need (Picture: Getty) According to the British Heart Foundation, the term comes from the NOVA food classification system, which was developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. It essentially categories food into 4 areas, based on how much they have been processed during their production. Unproduced foods include foods such as fruit, vegetables, milk, fish, pulses, eggs, nuts and seeds. The second category is processed ingredients, which are foods that are added to other foods rather than eaten by themselves, such as salt and oil (Picture: Getty) Category three is processed foods, which are foods that are made through combining categories 1 and 2. These include foods such as jam, pickles, tinned fruit and vegetables, homemade breads and cheeses. Then the final category is ultra-processed foods, which tend to have more than one ingredient that you never or rarely find in a kitchen. They also include many additives and ingredients not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours (Picture: Getty) Ultra-processed foods take many forms, such as ham and sausages, mass produced bread, cereals, instant soups, crisps and biscuits, ice-cream and fruit-flavoured yogurts, carbonated drinks and some alcoholic drinks including whisky, gin, and rum (Picture: Getty) Ultra-processed foods often have high levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar which takes away room in our diets for more nutritious foods. The British Heart Foundation explains: 'The actual processing of the food could also make a difference to how our bodies respond to it. Studies have shown, for example, that when foods such as nuts are eaten whole the body absorbs less of the fat than when the nut is ground down and the oils are released. Another new theory is that diets higher in ultra-processed foods could also affect our gut health. More research is needed to separate these different elements and understand exactly what about ultra-processed foods could be bad for our health: is it one of these elements or is it their combination?' So, what marketed healthy foods are ultra-processed? (Picture: Getty) Meals that are marketed as premium, such as lasagne, cottage pie, and curries with phrases such as 'finest' and 'best' are marketed as an easy way to a balanced meal. However, if you look deeper into the dishes, they often have added preservatives and stabilisers and are usually high in salt. Also, it is cheaper to prepare meals with fewer ingredients, so manufacturer often do not add a lot of vegetables, which does not make it very balanced (Picture: Getty) Marketed as the alternative to dairy, these milks are actually ultra-processed, as the plants are heated, juiced, powdered or extracted and reconstituted in water at levels as low as 2%. Where nutrients such as calcium are added, they often sink to the bottom. However it is hard to say what effect they will have on our body as the long-term effects have not been studied (Picture: Getty) Studies have shown that processed meat is bad for you, and just because this comes from a plant does not mean it's good for your body – as crisps and vodka do too. However, the Good Food Institute in Europe says: 'Plant-based meat is usually considered ultra-processed, but unlike many other foods in the category such as processed meat and sugary drinks, research tends to find it can reduce health risks relative to the conventional meat it replaces' (Picture: Getty) Granola bars and protein bars are ultra-processed foods, but whether they are bad for you depends on the context. If you're using this as a meal replacement then they are not the healthiest option to go for. However, if you are using this as a replacement for junk food then they might be able to produce some benefits. But for many people, they aren't an everyday nutritious staple (Picture: Getty) This depends on the type of cereal you are getting. Oats are good, as they just contain oats. However, there are some cereals and breakfast drinks that are marketed as healthy are actually ultra-processed. They can contain maltodextrins, processed proteins and fibres, and colours (Picture: Getty)
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"But by drawing this out with a separate syringe and using it as a so-called fifth dose, you're exposing yourself to serious risk of infection.' Once the pen has been used, it's no longer sterile, meaning any leftover liquid could be contaminated with harmful bacteria. Injecting it could lead to abscesses or, in extreme cases, life-threatening sepsis. The bigger the dose, the bigger the risk of pancreatitis Professor Penny Ward There's also the danger of taking too much. 'If you're using your own syringe, it's difficult to measure the correct amount - you may end up taking more than intended,' she warned. Overdosing on the jab can trigger nasty side effects like vomiting and diarrhoea, or in rare cases, pancreatitis - a serious and painful condition that may need hospital treatment. Around one in five cases result in serious complications, with up to 30 per cent proving fatal. The risk rises sharply with higher doses, as the drug can trigger digestive enzymes that begin attacking the pancreas itself. Symptoms include sudden, severe tummy pain, often spreading to the back, along with fever, nausea and a racing heartbeat. "The bigger the dose, the bigger the risk of pancreatitis," Professor Ward warned. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? 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Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Mounjaro - dubbed the "King Kong" of weight loss jabs - works by mimicking hormones released by the body when you're full. This makes people feel fuller for longer and therefore less hungry. It appears to be to be more potent than Wegovy - another popular weight loss jab - causing about 20 per cent weight loss after a year's use, compared with Wegovy's 15 per cent. Mounjaro's active ingredient is tirzepatide, a lab-made compound that mimics two gut hormones - GLP-1 and GIP - which help control blood sugar and appetite. This is why it was initially approved to treat diabetes type 2, which happens when people can't control their blood sugar. But in December 2024, it was also cleared for use on the NHS for weight loss in people with a BMI of over 30, or over 27 plus one weight-related condition. 'Excess solution' should be 'discarded' If you notice there is a considerable amount of medication left in your pen after the last dose, Professor Penny added, it may mean that you're not using the injection properly. "Speak to your pharmacist about your technique, or check that you definitely have the right size syringe, as this can impact the amount of medication left over," she said. A spokesperson for Lilly - the drug's manufacturer - said users should not do this, as the remaining liquid may not be a full dose. 'It is important to note that there will be a residual amount of medicine left after the fourth dose," they said. "This does not correspond to a full dose." 'Any excess solution in the pen after use should be discarded.' Dr Alison Cave, chief safety officer of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, added: "Medicines are approved according to strict dosage guidelines. "Failure to adhere with these guidelines, such as tampering with pre-dosed injection pens, could harm your health or cause personal injury. "People should follow the dosing directions provided by their healthcare provider when prescribed weight-loss medicines and use as directed in the patient information leaflet."
