The tech and storage swaps to help transform your food prep and eating
The hardest part of cutting down on UPFs (ultra-processed foods) isn’t the willpower, it’s the time. No one has a spare four hours a day to spend prepping meals. Luckily, the right kitchen tech and tools will transform the experience of cooking from scratch, making it a pleasure rather than a chore. Here’s what you need to revolutionise your kitchen, reduce UPFs and enjoy eating well.
What are UPFs?
UPFs are industrially processed food products that typically contain additives, preservatives, artificial flavours or colours that are not found in home cooking. Common examples are bread, breakfast cereals, ready meals, fizzy drinks, ice cream, sweet snacks and crisps. If you check the ingredients and there’s something on the list that you wouldn’t find in your kitchen, it’s probably a UPF. NHS guidance is to reduce consumption of UPFs as they have been linked to an increased risk of health conditions such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Air fryer
Air fryers are your shortcut to avoiding the frozen aisle, helping you effortlessly make fresh breaded fish or crisp potatoes to become chips. The innovative glass Ninja XL Crispi PRO is a great example of chemical-free cookware with an extra-large 5.7L capacity for crowd-pleasing meals.
Stand mixer
Whether you want to bake cakes or make dough for pasta, bread or pizza, a food mixer is an essential bit of anti-UPF kit. KitchenAid’s stand mixer offers precise speed controls and attachments to create whatever you wish.
Bread Maker
Get your daily bread with just three ingredients at the push of a button with the help of a bread maker. Panasonic’s is packed with 32 programmes for hassle-free breads, doughs and gluten-free treats. Check out Waitrose recipes for inspiration.
Ice-cream maker
An ice-cream maker is game-changing, and Ninja’s CREAMi Scoop & Swirl is so easy to use that even the kids will be churning out their favourite flavours in no time. Get experimenting with 100-per-cent homemade sorbets, gelatos, soft-serve ice cream and frozen yoghurts.
Fizzy drink maker
If you get through a lot of cans or bottles of sugary drinks, a sparkling drink maker will help create your own fizzy beverages with no nasty colours or additives. Sage’s InFizz Fusion can carbonate nearly any liquid – even wine – at the push of a button.
Slow cooker
A slow cooker is one of the easiest ways to avoid UPFs; simply add whole foods, such as beans, meat and tomatoes, set the timer and you instantly bypass industrial additives and preservatives – and gain flavour. Ninja’s Foodi Possible 8-in-1 Slow Cooker can also be used as a steamer and bread maker. That’s next-level multitasking.
Food processor
Food processors help you create delicious meals in minutes, and take all the hard work out of batch cooking. Sage’s The Paradice not only has the best name, it’s 2-in-1 process slices then dices your ingredients to make even and precise cubes. Plus, the peeler takes all the pain out of endless peeling.
Build your UPF-free kitchen
As well as investing in non-toxic cookware such as glass roasting tins, there are lots of affordable kitchen upgrades you can make. A pestle and mortar or spice grinder allows you to create your own rubs and spice blends, avoiding the anti-caking agents and MSG in shop-bought packets. Glass or metal food-storage containers safely store batch-cooked meals while removing worry about BPA or non-stick chemicals leaching. While glass jars filled with whole foods, such as nuts and seeds, make it easier to remember to reach for these healthy treats when you need a snack.
Reducing UPFs FAQs
Is it more expensive to cook non-UPF meals from scratch?
No. Although initial costs of cooking meals from scratch can be higher (when buying staples such as spices, beans and grains in bulk) the price-per-serving drops dramatically on future meals. Highly processed convenience foods often seem cheaper, but it’s more cost-effective to batch cook multiple meals.
Can a food processor help me batch cook to save time?
Yes, a food processor is one of the best tools for those short on time; it drastically reduces prep time by chopping, slicing, grating, or pureeing in a matter of seconds. Multipurpose attachments, such as the S-blade, are ideal for pureeing soups, making hummus, or blitzing sauces.
What is the easiest UPF to swap out of a child’s diet first?
Yoghurts can be heavily loaded with added sugars, emulsifiers and artificial flavours. Replace with plain, natural or Greek yoghurt and sweeten it with whole fruits or a drizzle of honey. Swap sugary cereals for wholegrain options, such as porridge oats, Weetabix, or oat-based granolas.
