How to Help Your Teenager Reduce UPFs from their daily diet

Junk food has been replaced by ultra-processed foods. At least in terms of nomenclature but reality is, they’re the same thing: food that is junk for our body.

I know, that’s saying it harshly, but there’s an increasing number of studies like this one and this one, indicating linkage between ultra-processed foods and a range of diseases and chronic conditions such as overweight and obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cancer, depression and anxiety, high blood pressure, cardio vascular disease, gut dysbiosis conditions like SIBO, IBS, and leaky gut, as well as cancers and heart disease.

Why this is important is these diseases develop over time in the presence of a highly-processed diet.

What we’re seeing is many of these conditions have increased significantly among younger and younger adults, in recent years.

Take for example, Type 2 diabetes which used to be referred to as adult-onset diabetes given it primarily developed among adults. With so many children now having diabetes, we’ve shifted to simply calling it type 2.

Of course, the links are not completely identified and more comprehensive research is needed in each area, but the numbers are growing and with fairly consistent results.

The writing on the proverbial wall seems to be saying that the ultra-processed foods we so dearly love, are literally making us overweight and sick. Or dare I say, they’re killing us…slowly.

The solution is typically to medicate or operate.

But some people facing these conditions are realizing their condition, and quality of life, won’t significantly improve unless they go to the root of their issue – their daily diet.

That’s where ultra-processed foods come in.

By making changes to what they eat and how they eat, these individuals are improving, and in many cases, reversing their conditions.

But what are we doing about our children to help prevent these medical issues from happening in the first place?

That’s where parents can make a significant difference.

Ultra-processed foods are a major part of most teen’s daily diets. In fact, adolescents, on average, acquire 67% of their total energy from UPFs versus only 23.5% from unprocessed or minimally processed food sources.

Concerned parents often come to me asking how they can stop their child from eating so much junk food.

The answer isn’t always easy, but I’ve discovered 5 core strategies that can help pave the path to healthier eating without much struggle or resistance.

But first, it’s important to be realistic and realize that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to completely remove ultra-processed from our diets.

For teens it can be especially difficult considering many of their favorite foods are fast foods, packaged foods, and convenient meals.

And here’s why:

·       Food manufacturers engineer food to be highly appealing and trigger addictive behaviors that motivate repeat purchase and higher consumption

·       Many teens don’t know how to cook or you may not cook, leaving processed foods as a primary source of meals

·       Advertising and media are relentlessly promoting these indulgent foods to teens, making it difficult to resist

·       Teenagers eat what their friends eat. Choosing differently is uncomfortable and sometimes leads to ridicule and teasing.

However, it is possible to greatly reduce UPFs despite all this. Let’s first look at what defines an ultra-processed food and why it’s different.

I.               Ultra-processed foods defined

One of the easiest ways to think about processed foods is picturing 3-tiers or levels of food production.

Level 1 - Unprocessed or minimally processed foods

The first level starts with unprocessed or minimally processed foods which are mostly in their natural state, including the natural nutrients and vitamins, with little to no altering or additives.

These foods may be minimally processed such as cooking methods like boiled or roasted, and stabilization methods like frozen, pasteurized, or dried to improve transport and storage, or make them safer to eat. Essentially, very little has been done to change the original state of the food and contains virtually no additives.

 

Level 2 - Processed foods.  

These are foods that are modified from their natural state with basic additives like salt, sugar, and oil in varied forms, as well as added vitamins or nutrients.

Processed foods are mostly the original natural food with a limited number of additives, typically, around 1-5 additional ingredients. These can be found in packaging such as a can, plastic container, bag, box, or wrapper.

 

Level 3 – Ultra-Processed foods

On the top level are ultra-processed foods which have undergone significant change including artificial ingredients and production processes that change them chemically and structurally. 

These foods are derived from natural food but are altered, extracted and changed using other organic or man-made compounds, such as preservatives, dyes, added flavors, bonding agents, and stabilizers.

Considering our bodies, from an evolutionary perspective, are biologically designed to interact with foods in their original, natural state we’re not equipped to metabolize foods altered in unnatural ways. When we introduce man-made chemicals and altern their molecular stucture, it comes with consequences to our bodies. It completely changes the game.

Take for example common vegetable oils like canola and corn, or seed oils like sunflower and safflower that go through a refining process of hydrogenation to improve their smoke point, remove flavor, and improve color. The negative outcome of these processed oils on our bodies is increased inflammation that can contribute to a range of diseases like metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Other common UPFs are soft drinks, meats like hot dogs, sausages, lunch meats like bologna, canned ham, and even some plant-based meat substitutes which altered from their original, natural form as a plant and undergo a reformulation process reducing or removing fiber and often adding other inorganic ingredients to improve taste, texture, color, and firmness. 

UPF’s also include most of the foods adolescents love such as fast foods, frozen meals, cereals, snack bars, packaged baked goods and desserts like cookies, muffins, cakes, pastries, donuts, and ice cream, as well as all the salty and cheesy snacks found on grocery and convenience store shelves.

Now that you hopefully understand the differences and the long-term risks, let’s focus on how you can help reduce your teenagers’ intake of ultra-processed foods on a daily basis, without stress and resistance.

 

I.               How to Transition

Let’s be realistic, getting a teenager to give up their beloved pizza or cheesy puffs can be nearly impossible. But, by transitioning from top tier, highly processed foods, to similar products from the lower tiers of processed and unprocessed/minimally processed foods, you can greatly improve their diet without too much resistance.

The goal in this case is to focus on swapping out UPFs wherever possible, and bring in a similar processed or a minimally processed replacement.

Here are four core strategies you can leverage to achieve success:

1). Add in and substitute versus taking away, banning or depriving.

2). Start easy and build up gradually, and with consistency

3). Plan and be prepared

4). Teach your teen to cook

These 4 strategies will ensure sustainability and enjoyment long-term.

Let’s explore each individually.

 

1). Add in and substitute versus taking away, banning or depriving.

One of the best ways of transitioning off ultra-processed foods is to bring in more unprocessed or minimally processed foods. If you’re providing whole, natural foods along with the existing ultra-processed foods, you being to build enjoyment which can naturally push out the ultra-processed.

For example, leave out a plate of sliced cucumbers and carrots with a healthy hummus or yogurt dip, next to a small bowl of their favorite cheese puff or potato chips. This gives your teen the opportunity to snack on both and not just fill up on chips. It may take repeated efforts but the more you do it, the more opportunity to change.

Go back to the root of the food your teen enjoys or find a simplified version of it.

·       Rather than having apple pie, encourage them to eat a whole apple with nut butter or a small scoop of almonds.

·       Instead of French fries serve roasted or baked potatoes.

A few other suggestions that can further pave the way to better eating:

·       Challenge or encourage your teen to eat the less processed food as a two to four week experiment. As part of their experiment, have them pay attention to the taste, texture and how satisfied they feel after eating. Are they hungry again a short time later or are they satisfied longer? By positioning the swap-outs as an experiment, your teen take the role of a scientist, an observer who considers the results without quick judgements or opinion.

·       Try swapping out a packaged cookie like an Oreo, for a square of natural dark chocolate or a homemade oatmeal and raisin cookie made with minimal ingredients and minimally processed sugar like maple syrup or an all-natural apple sauce. Or swap a bowl of ice cream for a bowl of fresh or frozen berries with natural, homemade whipped cream or frozen plain Greek yogurt, without added sugars. Have a teen who wants some crunch? Instead of microwave popcorn or a bag of cheesy puffs that closely resemble Styrofoam, air-pop popcorn or do it the old-fashion way on the stove top.

·       Make simple, yet healthy swap outs of ingredients they won’t even notice like extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) or avocado oil in your cooking and baking instead of canola oil. Or try almond flour and spelt flour instead of refined white flour.

·       Promote the changes as a means to feel better and reduce cravings and snacking. Some teens don’t like the idea of eating healthy foods, but when positioned as fuel for their body to help improve athletic or academic performance, increase energy and enhance moods, they’ll be more willing to give it a try.

Here's a few swap out examples provided by Healthline.com

 2).Start small.

Have your teen choose a food that’s occasional and won’t be difficult to change. They can pick a meal, snack or dessert that is more habit than enjoyment and swap that out first.

For example, if your teen eats Pringles chips as an occasional afternoon snack, swap them out for a level 2 processed snack of a natural potato chip that’s a real potato slice, baked and with just salt added. Or switch to air-popped popcorn or a nut and seed mix, to go to level 1, minimally processed.

By starting with something that is easier to replace, you give your teen time to ease into it, and you get an immediate win without too much mental resistance!

Continue swapping out more items, working your way up to tackling those that your teen eats daily and may be more difficult to swap out.

Also remember that while you’re swapping out these foods, it doesn’t mean your teen should never have them again, it’s just that they’re more occasional versus constant. When there’s less of a scarcity concern, you’ll get less resistance.

 

3). Plan and be prepared

This involves thinking ahead and anticipating when your teen might be tempted or derailed when they aren’t prepared.

This includes both eating at home and eating away from home.

When at home, encourage the whole family to make the same changes so your teen is not singled out. However, there are times when family members are resistant and in those cases it’s helpful to explain what you’re doing and ask for their support. You can agree upon a location for the UPFs that is designated for the family member.

Shop for the more natural foods you want to increase or add into your teens meals and snacks. Then prep and place them in locations that are convenient.

For example, set apples, pears, bananas, and the like on the counter when your teen can easily grab and snack. Prep a container of carrots and hummus in the fridge or overnight oats with berries that are good grab-and-go snacks or breakfast.

Planning also comes into play when your teen is away from home. Common challenges away from home include dining out, eating at their friends’ house, at school, family gatherings, and social events where there’s ultra-processed snacks and desserts.

If you know your teen will be encountering processed foods, then encourage them to bring their own. There are plenty of acceptable, easy snacks that are also healthy. Have your teen prep and bring a bag of grapes and some almonds or walnuts. For a lunch, they can bring a homemade sandwich on whole grain bread, with a whole fruit on the side, and lesser processed chips, with a reusable water bottle with plain or naturally flavored water.

As part of planning, have your teen eliminate unhealthy brands and foods from their social media feed and replace with posts on more natural foods, whole-foods and related recipes. This can go a long way in reducing cravings and constant thoughts of ultra-processed foods.

Which leads me to strategy four:

 

4). Teach your teen to cook

I’m seeing less and less young people who know how to cook. Yes, many of them know how to bake but it’s not the same as cooking.

Cooking is both art and science, blending flavors, textures and colors, with the chemistry of different ingredients.

Given many schools no longer teach cooking skills, it’s a great idea to take a class through a community program, summer camp or online. Even watching YouTube videos is a great way to learn and totally free.

Teach your teen the basics of HOW to cook. What flavors and ingredients go together, how they bond, resist, or react to one another. Why milk or eggs can curdle when you heat them and how to prevent, and so on.

If you don’t cook, there’s plenty of other ways your teen (and you) can learn. Watching online videos or classes, or attending a summer camp or local cooking class are also fun and engaging approaches. Find what works best for your teen.

The reason I recommend this is because it helps your teen build a solid understanding of what cooking is, how to be successful with it, and create a lifelong enjoyment of cooking.

It doesn’t become a daunting annoyance or a hassle. Instead, it’s a creative process, an experimentation, and fun. When your teen learns to cook, they’re less likely to grab an ultra-processed frozen microwave meal. They’ll see it differently and taste it differently.

Key takeaways

Food is categorized in three levels: minimally, processed and ultra-processed. Each having more additives and modifications than it’s prior category.

Ultra-processed foods are not the original, natural food source and therefore are foreign to our natural biology. Studies are indicating more and more related health issues may be in some or a large part due to these altered and manufactured foods.

To reduce consumption, use these four simple and easy strategies to transition your teen off ultra-processed foods:

1). Add in and substitute versus remove and forbid

2). Start with easy swap-outs and add on gradually

3). Plan and be prepared. Have healthy options available and ready to go.

4). Teach your teen to cook – even basic cooking skills can make a big difference.

Have your teen think of it as an experiment to ease the transition and you’ll both be on your way to better health!

Share this episode of the Healthy Teen Life podcast with your teen to listen and start making changes now.

Four essential steps adolescents can take to transition off ultra-processed foods with success.

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