Replace some ultra processed foods
Simple food swaps can reduce excess salt, free sugars and unhealthy fats.
The number, drawn
Why it matters
Many ultra processed products make it easy to consume more salt, sugar and unhealthy fats while displacing other foods. An umbrella review linked greater consumption with 21% higher mortality, but rated that evidence low certainty. The association does not prove that processing itself caused the difference or that every packaged food is harmful.
How to do it
- Replace one frequent packaged snack with fruit, nuts or plain yogurt.
- Keep simple meal ingredients available, such as beans and frozen vegetables.
- Compare products for salt, sugar and fiber as well as processing.
- Keep useful options such as canned beans and fortified foods; packaging alone does not determine nutritional quality.
Do it
Pick the time you have. Anything beats nothing.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Choose one frequent packaged sweet or salty snack to replace, then pick fruit, plain yogurt or a suitable plain nut option.
5 minutes
Compare two versions of a usual packaged food for salt, sugar, saturated fat and fiber; choose the option that improves your usual meal.
15 minutes
List a convenient fallback meal using canned beans, frozen vegetables and a staple grain, choosing foods that fit your dietary needs.
30 minutes
Prepare that fallback meal using ready cooked beans and vegetables; follow the grain's cooking instructions and refrigerate leftovers promptly.
A plan
Improve one convenience choice
- Week 1: Change one frequent snack high in salt or sugar.
- Week 2: Add a convenient meal using vegetables, pulses and a staple grain.
- Week 3: Keep helpful packaged foods and compare nutrition labels when replacing others.
In real life
- Choose plain yogurt with whole fruit instead of a sweetened dessert.
- Keep frozen vegetables and canned beans for an easy dinner.
- Keep wholemeal sliced bread if it helps you make a balanced lunch.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeDo not discard every packaged food: useful bread, beans and fortified foods can stay.
- Common mistakeDo not assume a homemade food is automatically healthier: compare sugar, salt, saturated fat and fiber too.
Trusted guides
Check usSources
- Evidence grade
- B Consistent large cohort studies, with some trial evidence.
- Basis
- 2024 umbrella review of observational meta analyses; WHO 2026 guidance supports minimally processed staples
- The number
- Greater ultra processed food intake linked to 21% higher mortality, with low certainty (BMJ, 2024)
- Outcome
- all-cause mortality association, low certainty
- Comparison
- greater versus lower ultra processed food exposure
- Tier 2 studyUltra processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta analysesBMJ, 2024
- Tier 1 guidelineHealthy dietWHO, 2026
General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.