What if I told you that your cake, biscuits, margarine, mayonnaise, fizzy drinks and even some fruit drinks might be ultra- processed foods? In recent years, the way many Ghanaians eat has changed.
Due to our busy lifestyles and schedules, it is easy to rely on foods that are quick, convenient and readily available.
These foods require little to no preparation and are readily available in shops and supermarkets.
They also taste good, which makes them even more appealing and hard to resist.
However, there is a concern.
In the past, meals in many Ghanaian homes were largely based on whole foods such as grains, such as maize, wheat, and millet, as well as vegetables, legumes and natural spices from the farms and local market.
These foods were not highly processed and had few artificial ingredients and preservatives.
Ultra processed
Today, our diet is shifting towards more processed and ultra-processed foods, often factory-made to taste better, cost less, and last longer.
They usually contain more sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and additives not found in home cooking.
Common examples are instant noodles, sweetened cereals, biscuits, cakes, sugary drinks, energy drinks and chips.
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are foods in packets with long shelf lives and many unfamiliar ingredients.
For example, homemade bread is not ultra-processed, but supermarket bread with additives is.
The main problem is how often and how much these foods are eaten. Occasional consumption is not harmful; regular consumption is the issue.
Ultra-processed foods are high in calories, salt, added sugar and fat but low in fibre and essential nutrients. This means they can fill you up without providing the body with the nutrients it needs. Over time, regular consumption can increase the risk of weight gain and conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
The more we eat them, the higher our risk of developing these health problems. The risk remains high in people who try to eat a healthier diet but are still consuming high amounts of UPFs.
In other words, eating your fruits and vegetables may not offset or balance the harmful effects of high ultra-processed food intake. That is why it is important not just to eat healthy foods, but also to reduce the intake of ultra-processed foods.
Guidelines
Even Ghana’s Food-Based Dietary Guidelines are quite clear about it.
They recommend that we reduce the intake of UPFs.
They should not be part of our everyday meals; they should be eaten only once in a while and in small amounts.
Instead, most of our meals should be built around whole foods like fruits, vegetables, grains like maize, millet, beans, nuts, fish, eggs, meat, etc.
Furthermore, they recommend that instead of the fizzy drink, you drink more water.
In simple terms, we should reduce the intake of foods that are overly processed.
The first step in safeguarding our health is realising how much ultra-processed food we eat.
Even while these meals are delicious and handy, if they form a significant portion of our diets, they may have negative long-term impacts.
It is critical to pay attention to what ends up on our plates as our food environment continues to change.
Reducing sugary drinks and packaged snacks, cooking at home whenever possible and selecting whole and less processed foods more frequently can all have a significant impact.
We can lower our risk of diet-related disorders and develop healthy behaviours by making small, regular changes.
Ultimately, making deliberate daily decisions gives us the ability to manage our health, one meal at a time.
The writers are with the Department of Dietetics,
School of Basic and Allied Health Sciences,
University of Ghana.
