Last week my youngest son had to take a packed lunch to school. Hopped, I threw in a combination of what I had in the cupboard: a cheese sandwich made with supermarket bread, a bag of crisps, a stick of Soreen malt bread and an apple.

Not terrible, but not brilliant either. Mostly, it turns out, he ate cereal for breakfast and probably had a yogurt for dinner – both culprits when it comes to ultra-processed foods (UPF), according to recent research from University College London.

I like to think my kids eat a relatively healthy diet, but when I think about all the extras that sneak in — the sugar-laden “multigrain” cereal, the snack bars, the bag of sliced ​​bread bought on the fly for toast — I can to believe very well the statistics which show that young children in the UK get almost half their calories from the UPF and that this rises to 59% by the age of seven.

Of course, not all UPFs are created equal. “Hummus, baked beans, fish fingers and Weetabix all fall into the same category as Pringles, Skittles and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, which is ridiculous,” points out the dietitian and author of the book. How not to eat ultra-processed food by Nichola Ludlam-Raine. “I personally would like to change the definition to include a lack of whole foods, fiber, and more than one ingredient that you wouldn’t find in your kitchen.”

Ludlam-Raine also says she’s a fan of the 80/20 rule—as long as you’re eating healthy 80 percent of the time, you can afford to let things go the rest of the time. “The problem is when those two numbers are switched.”

It can still be a minefield, though — especially if you’re in a hurry or need something prepackaged to throw in a lunchbox.

Technology can help – apps like Yuka scan food labels and tell you how much junk is in something. You can also go with Ludlam-Raine’s suggestion to add rather than take out – so instead of stressing over a pizza or a plate of pasta, add a few extra vegetables or seeds or serve it up with hummus and homemade crudités on the side.

With October half term looming – and the temptation to splurge on quick and easy food for the week ahead – what other simple swaps can we make to reduce our children’s UPF consumption? We asked the experts.

Breakfast

Swap Cheerios for porridge

Henry Dimbleby, author of the government’s 2013 School Food Plan and author of the National Food Strategy to 2021, once told me that breakfast cereals “are the work of the devil”. She does not keep it in the house, but instead serves her children “Daddy’s delicious porridge”. And yes, you have to cook it, but a big bag of jumbo oats is not only cheap, but good for you – let your child decorate it with fruit, peanut butter, seeds or cinnamon and you’ll have a feast fit for a king.

Other more nutritious options than grains include whole-grain toast with peanut butter, plain yogurt topped with fruit, nuts and seeds, or a hard-boiled egg and soldiers.

If you’re really short on time, not all breakfast cereals are terrible; Dr Federica Amati, chief nutritionist at science and nutrition company ZOE, says that if she had to choose, she would choose Weetabix or spelled puffs – and she sometimes adds the latter to her morning yoghurt.

Read on

When in doubt, read the label: “Unfortunately, many breakfast cereals are ultra-processed, so they often contain lots of unnecessary additives and sugar,” warns Amati. And don’t be fooled by promises of “added vitamins and minerals” or “a source of iron.” If it contains more than about 4-6g of sugar per serving, it’s basically dessert.

Packed lunch

Swap a ham sandwich for white cheese slices on Jason’s Sourdough

“Many breads sold in supermarkets are classified as ultra-processed foods,” says Dr Amati. “They can contain lots of additives such as emulsifiers and preservatives, and some white breads in particular are made with highly refined grains and contain very few nutrients. They have almost no fiber to feed your gut bacteria, but lots of simple starch, which is quickly converted to sugar and enters the bloodstream.

The ingredient list for Kingsmill’s Mighty White bread, for example, includes emulsifiers E471 (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), E472e (diacetyl). tartaric acid mono- and diglyceride ester or DATEM) and E481, (sodium stearoyl lactylate or SSL). Instead, look for products low in additives and ideally with around 6g of fiber per 100g – and ‘whole grain’, ‘whole wheat’, ‘multigrain’ or ‘wholemeal’ on the packaging.

“It’s also good to choose a bread where you can see whole grains and seeds in it – whole grains and seeds are a great source of protein, healthy fats and fibre. Dough, rye and nickel are good choices,” says Amati.

If white bread is your thing, sourdough is your best bet – even if, says Ludlam-Raine, it’s “sourfaux – I personally don’t see anything wrong with ascorbic acid, which is vitamin C, added to bread”. Avoid processed meats such as ham for stuffing and choose a good quality, unprocessed (unsliced ​​beforehand) cheese instead; good quality cheese is not unhealthy if you eat it in moderation. It is rich in micronutrients and many types contain probiotics.

If your child has a sophisticated palate, a multigrain bagel with seeds and smoked salmon is both delicious and healthy. Amati does away with a sandwich altogether and offers her kids pasta in their lunch boxes, with homemade pesto or a vegetable-filled tomato sauce.

Exchange rides for Chips

Kettle chips are not UPF – their only ingredients are potatoes, oil and salt – so if you really want to put that bag of chips in, these are the ones. However, Ludlam-Raine points out, “just because something isn’t ultra-processed doesn’t mean it’s healthy.”

If you want to increase the benefits, add a tub of hummus to dip the chips, or swap them for a bag of seeds, raisins or dried fruit. If you want crunch, Amati recommends Crispy Roasted Chickpeas with Salt and Vinegar – the Brave version contains only chickpeas, canola oil and salt.

Dinner

Swap chicken nuggets and chips for fish fingers, a baked potato and beans

Some days you just want something out of the freezer. Okay, but some things are healthier choices than others. Ditch the chicken nuggets in favor of fish fingers – although they technically fall under the UPF banner if you buy the ones with a higher fish-to-bread ratio and look for the ones made with 100% fillets of fish and a layer of whole grains. it will be much better for you than a nugget.

Baked beans include whole beans, so are a good source of fiber – look for versions that are low in sugar and salt. A baked potato beats chips, but if you really can’t sneak past the kids, opt for sweet potato fries or simple oven chips with minimal ingredients. Add some peas on the side, too, for an extra boost of vitamins.

Swap a stuffed pepperoni crust pizza for a Crosta & Mollica Verdure

A proper pizza base should contain only four ingredients: flour, water, salt and yeast. Crosta & Mollica bases are made from dough, without additives; this version of vegetables also cuts pepperoni and processed ham on the other. Load up on some extra veggies and serve it with crudités and hummus and you’ve got yourself a pretty healthy and quick dinner.

STARTERS

Trade a Diet Coke for a Cawston press

“Fizzy drinks should be an absolute no-no,” says Ludham-Raine. If your child loves bubbles, try some pumpkin fizz or mix sparkling water with apple juice. If you’re on the run, Cawston Press sparkling drinks are made with pressed fruit and have no added sugar or sweeteners.

Exchange a Nutrigrain bar for a Nakd bar

Both contain natural ingredients but, says Ludlam-Raine, “you could make a Nakd bar at home in your kitchen – but you couldn’t make a Nutrigrain”. That’s because the latter contains stabilizers and emulsifiers – as well as lots of other stuff you probably won’t have in your kitchen cupboard, from palm oil to glycerol.

Trade Soreen for Bear Yoyos

“Like most snacks, Soreen bars contain quite a long list of ingredients you wouldn’t find in your kitchen, such as calcium propionate, partially inverted sugar syrup, and coloring,” says Amati. “There are certainly worse products on the market aimed at children, but a simple mix of fruit and nuts would certainly be more nutritious and filling.”

The problem is that most schools don’t allow nuts as a snack – Bear Yoyos (in a variety of fruit flavors) only contain fruit, so they’re an ok alternative, although be aware that they’re quite high in sugar.