Less Ultra-Processed Food
A shopping list of fresh ingredients, a swap for packaged snacks and a simple dinner.
For families and people who don't cook much. On Saturday you write a shopping list for three meals made from fresh ingredients, you swap a packaged snack for fruit, nuts or yogurt, and three times a week you cook dinner from just a few ingredients.
A day in the program
Tasks, in order.
Times assume waking at 7:00 and going to sleep at 23:00. In the app, they shift to fit you.
Late morning
- 10:00Write a shopping list3× · Food · Sat
When you plan your shopping on Saturday, write a list for three meals made from fresh ingredients for the week ahead.
Caution. If you have experienced an eating disorder or food is a source of distress for you, skip this program and reach out to a specialist, such as a local eating disorder support organization.
Why it matters. In a controlled study with 20 adults, people on an ultra-processed diet ate more over two weeks than on a diet of unprocessed foods. Both menus had comparable sugar, fat, salt and fiber (Hall et al. 2019).
Afternoon
- 15:30Swap a packaged snack1 portion · Food · Every day
When you feel like a packaged snack, reach for fruit, a handful of nuts or plain yogurt. Pack them in your bag in the morning.
One missed day. According to the UCL study, missing once did not meaningfully affect habit formation (UCL 2009).
Evening
- 18:30Cook a 5-ingredient dinner1 portion · Food · Mon, Wed, Fri
When you cook dinner on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, choose a meal with no more than five ingredients, such as pasta with tomatoes and beans, or eggs with vegetables.
A plate instead of counting. WHO recommends at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables a day and salt under 5 g; cooking for yourself makes both easier (WHO).
General suggestions for everyday wellbeing, not medical advice. Adjust the tasks to suit you. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication regularly, talk to your doctor before making changes.
What our programs build onSources
What the program builds on.
Cooking from a few ingredients makes the recommended 400 g of fruit and vegetables a day and salt under 5 g easier.
The shopping list and home cooking follow a controlled study in which people on an ultra-processed diet ate more.
The program changes one snack and one dinner at a time, and a missed day is fine.