I cut out ultra-processed food and changed my life

In January 2024, I was starting another New Year feeling sluggish, tired and bloated after overindulging in food and drink in December, and I made the decision to stop eating ultra-processed foods.

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It seems like a simple enough step, but 18 months on, it’s no exaggeration to say it has been life-changing, transforming what I eat, my body and my knowledge and love for food.

But what's remarkable is that it hasn't even been difficult. I don't eat less, count calories or obsess about fat or carbohydrates. Which means the changes are far more likely to stick with me for the rest of my life and hopefully extend my “healthspan” - that's the number of years spent in good health.

It can feel impossible to avoid ultra-processed food. Once you're past the fruit and veg section of the supermarket, the shelves are filled with them. And they can often be super-convenient for our busy lives, not to mention cheap.

And thanks to powerful marketing by food companies, we can often be eating the wrong things without realising. For several years I ate granola with fruit-flavoured yogurt for breakfast, thinking I was giving myself a healthy start to the day, but in fact I was having a dose of sugar and ultra-processed ingredients.

I wasn't leading an unusually unhealthy lifestyle before 2024 - I did two circuits classes a week, and I ran and cycled when I could and already ate a decent amount of fruit and vegetables. But I was still a tired 44-year-old with a dad bod.

UPFs would sneak into my diet - I'd sometimes grab a supermarket pizza for a quick dinner when pressed for time, or make a sandwich with supermarket bread for lunch, which I'd have with crisps on the side.

Here is how I cut them out - and what else I've learned in the last 18 months...

How I cut UPFs from my diet

I ditched supermarket bread, crisps, biscuits, ice cream and ready-made foods, processed meat (bye bye bacon, salami, ham and hot dogs) and pre-made sauces.