Britain’s top nutritionist reveals the food she would NEVER eat – and there’s one ‘healthy’ breakfast item that’s OFF the menu goes here
One of Britain’s top nutrition experts has revealed a surprising list of ‘healthy’ foods that she warns people they should never eat.
Dr Federica Amati, one of the scientists behind the ZOE Diet — founded by world-renowned expert Professor Tim Spector — has said that people are consuming ‘hidden’ ultra-processed foods.
From multigrain snack bars to wholemeal bread, Dr Amati — who is based at Imperial College London — says that shoppers are being duped by products that appear to be extremely good for us but perhaps aren’t.
She warned that people need to ‘learn to spot foods that are marketed as healthy but are full of additives’.
Shockingly, products like low calorie ice cream and lentil chips are on the nutritionists must avoid list for shoppers.
Dr Amati warns that you should take particular care high with UPF’s that you might mistakenly be consuming eat every day.
Rather than avoiding all UPF’s she says look out for products that are high in sugar, salt and saturated fats and low in fibre, as well as those that contain a long list of industrial additives such as emulsifiers, sweeteners and bulking agents.
The nutritionist has revealed that products like breakfast cereals are some of the worst offenders, with Kellogs Special K on her personal ‘must avoid’ list.
Nutritionists use a 1-4 scale for classifying foods from unprocessed to ultra processed.
Dr Federica Amati is one of the nutritional scientists behind diet app Zoe
The UK is the worst in Europe for eating ultra-processed foods, making up an estimated 57 per cent of the national diet.
It’s not just that UPFs are bad; it’s what they are replacing in our diet that is the concern.
‘The more of them we eat, the less we are eating the things that support health, namely whole plant-based foods,’ Dr Amati told the Times.
Ultra-processed foods are high in added fat, sugar and salt, low in protein and fibre and contain artificial colourings, sweeteners and preservatives.
The term covers food that contains ingredients that a person wouldn’t add when cooking at home — such as chemicals, colourings and preservatives.
A high intake of ultra processed foods has been linked to an increased risk of 32 health problems including cancer, type 2 diabetes and mental health disorders.
Dr Amati’s shopping list revealed that you may be consuming more of the products that are linked cancer than you might think.
Surprisingly, the nutritionist revealed that a breakfast staple is one of the products with hidden ingredients.
Loaves of bread branded as a ‘healthy’ alternative are often low in fibre and contain additives to keep them soft and fresh.
Instead she recommends looking for breads with more than 6g fibre per 100g and avoid anything with more than 5g sugar per 100g.
Rye, pumpernickel, flaxseed, spelt and buckwheat breads are high in fibre and contain a variety of wholegrains, micronutrients and ‘good’ fats that support health.
The nutritionist recommends Modern Baker Superloaf over Marks and Spencers wholemeal with rye sliced bread.
Dr Amati warns that your shopping basket may contain hidden UPFs
Loaves of bread branded as ‘healthy’ are often low in fibre and contain additives to keep them soft and fresh
Nuts are a good snack alternative according to Dr Amati, as they can mimick the effect of weight loss drugs
It is not just your breakfast that is packed with UPF’s – snacks branded a ‘nutritional’ are also often to be avoided according to Dr Amati.
‘Lentil and hummus chips are pure UPFs,’ says Dr Amati. ‘They’re made with a variety of industrial ingredients, as are veggie straws.’
Instead she suggests snacks high-fibre such as lightly salted popcorn, roasted chickpeas or seaweed thins, which are also high in iodine and vitamin B12.
Adding: ‘many muesli snack bars and protein ‘fitness’ bars are marketed as a healthy treat but are full of sugars, artificial additives and emulsifiers.’
So she recommends avoiding Nature Valley and Clif bars and instead opt for dark chocolate or Nakd cashew cookie bars
Both Nature Valley and Clif bars were picked out as a snack to avoid
She claims that nuts are also a ‘natural Ozempic’. ‘Their fibre and protein content, they can keep you feeling fuller for longer, naturally contributing to the release of satiety signals like GLP-1,’ says Dr Amati.
Also in the avoid list is Halo low calorie ice cream. ‘Don’t be fooled — this is not the best way to get high-quality protein in your diet and the ingredients lists of these options are often worse,’ says Dr Amati.
As well as revealing a list of shocking ‘healthy’ foods Dr Amati also gave general tips to improve your diet.
She said: ‘Focus on having more whole foods as your primary source of energy. If you can get more nuts and seeds, wholegrains, legumes, healthy fats and fresh fruit onto your plate every day, you will dramatically improve your health even with the odd UPF creeping in.’
One of her tips is to eat more fibre. The guidelines say we should have 30g per day. But on average we only consume about 20g, which is roughly what we recommend for a four-year-old.
A high-fibre diet is associated with lower blood cholesterol and risk of heart disease, better blood sugar control and bone health and improved mental health.
Increasing your fibre intake by just 5g a day can improve your immune system function and reduce high blood pressure.
She also advises to cut back on animal protein, eat a healthy breakfast and eat a range of snacks such as fruit and nuts.
The scientist also warned of three emulsifiers to watch out for in UPF’s.
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which is in baked goods, is top of the list. Studies have shown that it can disrupt gut microbiota, reduce microbial diversity and promote gut inflammation, potentially contributing to chronic inflammatory diseases and metabolic syndrome.
The nutritionist also urges people to look out for carrageenans, in dairy products and microwave meals, and diglycerides of fatty acids Linked to higher risks of cancer, particularly breast and prostate cancer.
