7 tasty recipes to replace your favourite ultra-processed foods

As the conversation around ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and their impact on our health continues, many people are keen to reduce the amount that they consume on a day-to-day basis.

UPFs are highly prevalent in our everyday lives, with research showing they make up nearly two-thirds of the British diet. According to data from the EIT Food Consumer Observatory, first reported by The Grocer, 68% of Britons admit to eating UPFs at least once a week compared to 56% in the EU as a whole.

This category of food includes popular items like ready meals, processed meats, biscuits, crisps, sweets, cakes, fizzy drinks, and more. While not every food that is considered ultra-processed is necessarily detrimental to our health - for example, wholegrain bread and baked beans are categorised as UPFs but have plenty of nutritional value - emerging research has suggested that overconsuming UPFs can lead to dangerous health outcomes.

The negative impact of consuming high volumes of UPFs includes increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer like head and neck cancer, and common mental disorders.

With people becoming more concerned about what they eat, a survey by the British Nutrition Foundation found that 33% of UK adults were planning to reduce the amount of UPFs they eat in 2023, an increase from 25% the previous year.

While many UPFs are undoubtedly convenient and offer a quick meal, many experts agree that people should ideally cook their food from scratch wherever possible. On days when you have the time to do so, we’ve pulled together a collection of recipes that you can try at home as an alternative to a ready meal.

Craving a burger? Try making the Hot Agave Burger by The Groovy Food Company

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 450g minced beef (we use 7% fat)⁠

• 1 large egg⁠

• 25g finely diced onion⁠

• 25g dried breadcrumbs⁠

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce⁠

• 1 or 2 finely chopped garlic cloves⁠

• 1/2 tsp salt⁠

• 1/4 tsp pepper⁠

• 4 burger buns (we like the brioche ones!)⁠

• 4 washed lettuce leaves⁠

• 1 ripe tomato, thinly sliced⁠

• 4 slices red onion⁠

• ⁠The Groovy Food Company Hot Agave Nectar ⁠

• Ketchup ⁠

• Mayo ⁠

Method:

1. Mix the beef, egg, breadcrumbs, diced onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and garlic in a bowl. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into a patty. ⁠

2. Lay the patties on the BBQ grill or gas grill and cook for around 8 mins, turning halfway through until browned on both sides.⁠

3. Slice the burger buns and place face down on the grill for 30 seconds to lightly toast.

4. Add your choice of condiments, the lettuce, tomato and burger patty and onion onto the bun, and finish off with a drizzle of delicious Hot Agave before putting the top bun on. ⁠

Ditch pasta sauce in a jar and make Tagliatelle with roast tomato sauce, crème fraîche and mint by Lloyd Morse

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1kg whole cherry or plum tomatoes

• Olive oil

• Red wine vinegar

• 100g crème fraîche

• Mint leaves

• 200g dried long pasta (tagliatelle or spaghetti)

• Parmesan, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat your oven as hot as it will go, 250c-300c.

2. Once hot, place a dry oven tray in the oven and allow it to heat up. The tray needs to be large enough to hold the tomatoes in one layer, if they’re piled on top of each other they'll steam and you won't get the desired roasted taste. Carefully add the dry tomatoes to the oven tray and return to the oven.

3. After five minutes open the oven and give the tray and shake, the tomatoes should begin to blister and black marks on them. Continue to roast the tomatoes, shaking every five to ten minutes, until they have deep colour on them and have started to split open.

4. Now, carefully, add a sprinkle of salt and a very generous glug of oil. Give the tomatoes a good stir and allow to sit for five minutes out of the oven.

5. If you have a food mill or mouli, pour all the contents of the roasting tray into the mill and pass it over a pot. If you don’t have a mill, then pour all the tomatoes into a pot and go over it with a potato masher a few times to break all the tomatoes up.

6. Put the pot on a medium heat, add pepper and a little red wine vinegar, have a taste and let the sauce cook and reduce, generally it’ll be a little wet and need to thicken. Once the sauce is looking thicker, add the crème fraîche, mix and have a last taste for seasoning.

7. Cook your pasta, drain and add to the sauce. Cook the sauce and pasta together for a few minutes to allow the pasta to soak up some of the sauce, add some torn mint and then a good grating of parmesan.

Lloyd Morse is the chef-patron of The Palmerston, Edinburgh.

Instead of instant noodles, try Kimchi Beef Peanut Butter Ramen by Dominique Woolf

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

For the steak:

• 1 x 200-250g sirloin steak

• 1tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1tbsp light soy sauce

For the noodles:

• 2 nexts of medium egg/wheat noodles

• 4tbsp unsweetened peanut butter

• 2tbsp gochujang

• 1tbsp light soy sauce

• 1tbsp sugar

• 600ml chicken stock

• Neutral oil, to fry

• 2 spring onions, sliced

• 2 large eggs

To serve:

• 100g kimchi, chopped

• 1 spring onion, finely sliced

Method:

• Place the steak in a dish and coat with the sesame oil and one tablespoon of soy. Leave to marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish.

• Cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain, rinse and set aside in a colander.

• Meanwhile, whisk together the peanut butter, gochujang, soy and sugar with a little stock, adding it slowly until you have a smooth paste. Set aside.

• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the spring onions and fry for a minute or so. Add the remaining stock along with the peanut butter mixture, and combine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and cover.

• Bring a pan of water to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the eggs. Cook for six-and-a-half to seven minutes, depending on how soft you like your eggs. Place in cold water.

• Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan over a high heat and when very hot, add the steak, leaving behind any excess marinade. Cook for one to two minutes each side, depending on how you like it done. Remove and leave to rest.

• Peel and halve the eggs. Pour a little boiling water over the noodles to warm them, then divide between two bowls. Slice the steak thinly.

• Ladle the broth over the noodles, and top with the beef and its resting juices, eggs, kimchi, and spring onion. Serve immediately.

Dominique Woolf's new cookbook The Asian Pantry is available to purchase from multiple retailers.

Indulge in chunky Chips and Curry Mayo by Rake

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the chips:

• 1kg potatoes (specifically varieties with low water content that are good for chipping)

• 3 litres neutral oil (for frying)

• 1tsp fine salt

For the mayo:

• 2 egg yolks

• 700ml neutral oil

• 1tsp lemon juice

• 1tsp white wine vinegar

• ½ tsp dijon mustard

• ½ tsp sugar

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• ¼ tsp garam masala

• ¼ tsp coriander seeds

• ¼ tsp cumin seeds

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes straight into cold water and give them a gentle rinse if there’s any dirt still on them.

2. Drain and cut into large chips, around 2cm wide by 8cm long. This is often the full length of the potato and results in around four chips per potato.

3. In a pan, cover the chips in cold water, seasoned with fine salt, and bring to a gentle boil.

4. While the chips are blanching, make the mayo. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan until fragrant, but don’t let them colour. When they’re done, blitz them in a blender or spice grinder.

5. If using a blender, add the yolks, mustard, turmeric, garam masala and sugar, and blitz until smooth. Then, add the lemon juice and vinegar.

6. With the blender on medium speed, add the oil slowly until emulsified, checking the consistency carefully. If the mayo becomes thick too fast, or a sheen of oil appears on top, then add more lemon juice and/or water. When at the correct consistency, season the mayo with a touch of salt.

7. After eight minutes of boiling, the potatoes will be cooked. You can tell by their appearance; the edges should be fluffed and broken, and, with very little force, the chip should disintegrate under a fork.

8. Carefully take the chips out of the water with a slotted spoon, don’t pour them out into the sink. Put them in a flat container and allow them to cool on the side. They don’t need to be fully cold.

9. These chips are best cooked on a fryer. If you don’t have a fryer, the process is the same in a heavy bottomed pan of oil on the hob, though you will need a kitchen temperature probe.

10. Set the fryer (or pan) to 160 degrees and fry the chips. This will take around four minutes. They should be lightly golden in colour.

11. Strain and repeat with the fryer set to 190 degrees. This should only take two minutes, and the chips should look deeply golden and have loads of craggled crispy pieces.

12. Divide into four generous portions and serve with a dollop of the curry mayo.

Rake is operated by three chefs with a combined 30 years in the industry; Jay Claus, Peter Ward and Syrus Pickhaver.

Skip ordering a pizza and make Cauliflower Pizza with Sage and Butternut Squash by Dorothy Woods

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1 small to medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup (120g) of soft goat's cheese

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the toppings:

• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 1/2tbsp olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 cup (100g) curly kale, stemmed and chopped

• 100g mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

• 1 large shallow, thinly sliced

• About 10 leaves of fresh sage, chopped

• About 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped

Method:

1. Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Place the cauliflower florets in a blender and blend until you get a rice-like consistency.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ground cauliflower to the boiling water. Reduce to a simmer for 1 minute.

4. Drain in a fine mesh sieve, pressing to get the water out, and set aside to cool.

5. In a clean dish towel, squeeze the cauliflower in batches no larger than a tennis ball. Squeeze to drain out as much liquid as possible. The more you squeeze, the better your crust will hold together.

6. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, goat cheese, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the drained cauliflower to the bowl with the egg and goat cheese mixture and combine to form a wet dough.

7. On the prepared baking sheet, spread the dough into a round shape and use your hands to press it about 1/8-inch-thick with a slightly raised rim.

8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until lightly toasted in colour. Re- move and allow to cool slightly. Keep the oven on.

9. Prepare the toppings: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

10. On the prepared baking sheet, toss the squash with 1 table- spoon of olive oil and the garlic and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Keep the oven on.

11. Transfer the squash to a large bowl and mash it into a paste using a fork or potato masher. Set aside.

12. Massage the kale with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Spread the butternut squash over the cauliflower crust.

13. Add the mozzarella, kale, shallot, sage, and rosemary and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Dorothy Woods is an author, chef and nutritionist. Her new cookbook is called Cook Together.

Take comfort in a piping hot Pork and Watercress Hot Pot Pie by The Watercress Company

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

• 600g diced pork

• 400g leeks, sliced

• 2 shallots, diced

• 80g watercress, big stalks removed

• 3tbsp plain flour

• 200ml apple cider

• 200ml vegetable stock

• Bunch of sage

• 150ml cream

• 600g peeled potatoes

• Oil

• Butter

• Grated cheese (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Add a good glug of oil to a large pan and sear the pork pieces over a high heat – you can do this in batches if necessary, before setting it all aside.

2. Add a knob of butter to the same pan and turn the heat down to medium, fry the leeks and shallots with generous pinch of salt and cook down for a few minutes until they start to soften.

3. Pour in the cider and vegetable stock and stir before reintroducing the pork to the pan, simmer for 10 mins.

4. Meanwhile, use a sharp knife or mandolin to finely slice the potatoes.

5. Add the sage, watercress and cream and stir, making sure everything is coated and combined, then tip this mixture into a large pie dish.

6. Layer the potato slices on top, brush with a little melted butter and bake for about 1hr 30mins, until the potatoes are beautifully browned and the mixture is bubbling.

7. You can add some grated cheese to the top for the last 20 minutes if you wish.

Aromatic Coconut Salmon Curry by Dominique Woolf

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp neutral oil

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• Sea salt flakes

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 1tbsp grated fresh ginger (approximately 6cm)

• 1/2tsp Chinese 5-spice

• 1tbsp curry powder (whichever heat preferred)

• 1tsp chilli flakes (optional)

• 1 medium tomato, chopped

• 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk

• 150ml water

• 2tbsp light soy sauce

• 2tsp sugar

• 4 x skinless salmon fillets (approximate 500g), cut into 3cm pieces

• 250g asparagus, cut into 3-4cm pieces

To serve:

• Rice and/or flatbreads

• Fresh coriander leaves

Method:

1. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt, and cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for a further two to three minutes, until softened.

2. Add the Chinese five-spice, curry powder and chilli flakes, and fry for a further minute, adding another drizzle of oil if necessary.

3. Tip in the tomato along with the coconut milk, water, soy and sugar. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring to the boil. Bubble for five minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly, then taste the sauce and add any extra soy, salt or sugar as needed.

4. Add the salmon and coat it in the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for three minutes, stirring and turning over the salmon pieces occasionally. Add the asparagus and also coat in the sauce, being careful not to break up the salmon. Simmer for a further two to three minutes or so, untilt he salmon and asparagus are both cooked.

5. Serve with rice and/or flatbreads and sprinkled with coriander leaves.

Dominique Woolf's new cookbook The Asian Pantry is available now.

Read more about gut health:

• Ultra-processed foods linked to 30 dangerous health outcomes (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)

• Is a sweet or savoury breakfast better for gut health? (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)

• Why eating oily fish is good for you, and how to cook it (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)