Shop till you swap

Expert insists switching from processed to wholefoods will slash bills and waistlines

- BY LARISSA NOLAN

DO you know what exactly is in your weekly grocery shop?

Healthy-eating advocate Sophie Morris wants to make us aware of how ultra-processed foods are everywhere and probably make up half of your trolley.

Products containing additives and preservatives lead to issues like heart problems and obesity.

Sophie's simple swaps - replacing UPFs with healthier, better-quality and sometimes cheaper alternatives - are loved by half a million followers on Instagram.

Her new book Sophie's Swaps is a guide for smarter supermarket choices and the 41-year-old mum-of-two has decades of experience in the food industry to raise awareness about packaged products.

She said: “The cost of living means many households rely on two parents working, which results in huge time pressure. I know the need for some convenience.

“The goal is not to cut out all processed food. It's not realistic and it’s not necessary.

“Research shows diets high in UPFs are linked to negative health. So the aim is the 80:20 rule - for 80% of our diet to be made up of wholefoods.”

In her book, Sophie explains what UPFs are and why they're bad for us. She also gives tips for living an unprocessed life and lists her top supermarket finds.

Shockingly, around half the food in an Irish shopping basket is ultra-processed.