Ultra-processed foods made a week of avoidance feel difficult.

Emma Joyce tried to avoid ultra-processed foods for a week, consulted experts who flagged long ingredient lists as a clue to UPFs, and found the effort time-consuming, costly and socially awkward, so she moved toward limiting rather than fully excluding them.

Emma Joyce spent a week trying to avoid ultra-processed foods to test how doable it is. Ultra-processed foods are widespread and have been linked to a range of health concerns, which prompted the experiment. She sought guidance from experts and used the NOVA classification to decide what to eat. The trial explored real-life barriers such as shopping, cooking time and social situations. What the week involved: - Emma Joyce attempted a week-long avoidance of ultra-processed foods and recorded daily experiences at home, at work and when socialising. - Experts consulted included Prof Mark Lawrence, who noted long ingredient lists and “chemical-sounding” additives as indicators of UPFs, and Dr Phillip Baker, who suggested avoiding ingredients people would not use in home cooking. - The NOVA system was used to classify foods from minimally processed items to ultra-processed products and guided food choices during the experiment. - Joyce found that buying less-processed alternatives increased cost and preparation time, and that avoiding UPFs affected convenience and social meals. - By the end of the week she relaxed strict rules, kept no-UPF mornings, shifted to limiting UPFs rather than full exclusion, and noted that fermented beer, wine and cider were not classified as UPFs. Summary: The experiment highlighted practical barriers to avoiding ultra-processed foods, including cost, extra preparation time and the ubiquity of processed options in shops and social settings. Joyce found strict avoidance difficult to sustain alone and adapted to a more balanced approach of limiting UPFs while keeping some routine habits like no-UPF mornings.