These days, we’re hearing a lot more about ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and the dangers associated with overeating highly industrialised food products. But what exactly are UPFs, how bad are they really and how can you spot them when out doing the grocery shop?
In the latest episode of The Irish Times Women’s Podcast, nutrition consultant Sophie Morris joins Róisín Ingle to answer all these questions and to explain why she’s joined the growing movement away from this kind of “profit driven” food.
“These big companies are trying to use the cheapest ingredients possible, that will last on the shelf as long as possible, and that we eat them as much as possible,” Morris says.
Explaining how food companies engineer their food in such a way to keep us going back for more, she adds, “they have really sophisticated scientists that they employ to work on these exact combinations of sugar, salt and fat… that will trigger dopamine in our brains to make us eat more and more. They are essentially designed for us to overeat”.
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Through her online business, Sophie’s Nutrition, and on her Instagram page, Morris spreads the word about healthy eating and educates her 300 thousand plus followers on ingredient lists and how to make “clever supermarket swaps”.
In this conversation, we hear how she made the move from finance into food, why she’s concerned about the hot school lunches scheme being rolled out across the country and what’s next for her in 2025.
You can listen back to this conversation in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.
