Ultra-processed foods, the order of the day in our supermarkets, what are they and how to avoid them?
Is it common for your shopping basket to abound in products such as pizzas, ice creams, soft drinks, sweets and industrial pastries? If the answer is yes, in this article we will tell you what they are and how you can avoid ultra-processed products.
We are tired of hearing that we have to eat healthy and take care of our diet, but it is seeing a four cheese pizza in our trusted store and taking it directly to the basket, why? They are called ultra-processed products, they are abundant in supermarkets and they are highly attractive and tempting. Ultra-processed foods are those made up of more than five ingredients that, in addition, have been industrially produced. are products harmful to our health since they are directly related to diseases such as overweight, obesity, diabetes or cancer. This is because they contain a large amount of salt, fat, and many refined sugars. Even so, we continue to buy and consume them on a daily basis.
Why are ultra-processed products so attractive?
One of the reasons we continue to devour this low nutritional value food is its appetizing appearance. Generally, the the packaging of these products is usually much more striking than that of others that we can find on the market. This is because the industries that are dedicated to selling them tend to invest more in advertising. The most vulnerable consumers are often young people and children.
How do we avoid these types of products?
It should be noted that the packaging is not the only thing that makes these products irresistible. The simplicity and speed with which they are cooked, in addition to their flavor, are perhaps other reasons why we often choose them. The reality is that these products are not healthy at all and you have to try to avoid them as much as possible, how? Planning weekly menus ahead of time or introducing fresh foods into our diet. Too
substituting ultra-processed products such as margarine for butter or making the sauces that we take at home ourselves instead of buying them. In addition, it is important to know how to interpret the labels of the products we buy; some supermarkets such as Eroski have already innovated with the smart tags.
