I won\u2019t deny that the research on UPFs raises concerns. Studies show<\/a> that higher intakes of UPFs are associated with a greater risk of heart disease<\/a>, diabetes<\/a>, obesity, and mental health disorders like anxiety<\/a> and depression<\/a>. The relationship seems to be dose-dependent, meaning the more UPFs you eat, the more likely you are to have one of these health conditions. I can see this being especially true if a diet includes mostly UPFs, leaving little room for nutrient-dense foods. <\/p>\n What gets overlooked is how tangled these associations can be. A 2024 study <\/a>of the diet and lifestyle habits of 1,766 adults found that people who ate higher amounts of UPFs were also more likely to have other health risks, such as smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, and a lower socioeconomic status. Each of these factors is independently associated with an increased risk for chronic disease<\/a>, which makes it hard to blame UPFs alone. <\/p>\n ‘This all-or-nothing approach is unhelpful and puts impossible expectations on parents’<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n Despite the numerous factors that influence our health and our children\u2019s health, we\u2019ve started measuring a person\u2019s parenting by the number of ingredients in the food they serve. This all-or-nothing approach is unhelpful and puts impossible expectations on parents who are already stretched thin from balancing work, family, finances, kids\u2019 extracurricular activities, and (if even possible) time for their own self-care and mental health<\/a>. <\/p>\n The foods labelled as ‘ultra-processed’ in research studies<\/a> aren\u2019t just sweets and fizzy drinks, either. They include staple foods that offer real and valuable nutritional benefits, such as cereal enriched with essential vitamins and minerals, frozen proteins like fish fingers or chicken nuggets, and supermarket bread and sauces.<\/p>\n These items make serving balanced, nutritionally complete meals possible for many families because of their convenience, accessibility, and often affordability. Accusing someone who relies on them of being irresponsible or not caring about their kids ignores the fact that cooking from scratch requires time, energy, money, and resources, which many people don\u2019t have enough of. <\/p>\n And it’s not just about what we\u2019re feeding our kids, either. As a busy, working parent, there are many days when my own meals are thrown together quickly between meetings, school pickup, and dance class drop-offs. Sometimes that includes a protein shake<\/a>, a granola bar, or even a microwavable meal. And you can bet when these foods show up in my social media posts or are mentioned in an article, the comment section floods with people letting me know how awful I am for eating and serving them.<\/p>\n \u2019While we\u2019re so focused on the dangers of serving fish fingers with dinner, let\u2019s not forget about the impact that stress has on our health\u2019<\/p>\n Do I want my diet to be based on UPFs<\/a>? No. Am I encouraging people to eat more of them? Of course not. But I do believe that including some of these foods in your diet may actually help you eat a more nutritionally complete and healthy diet overall. For me, serving some UPFs helps me prioritise fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins without burning myself out. And I know the same is true for many other parents<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n
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