HOW BAD IS YOUR DIET?

Rachel Tompkins, 44, found her family consumes far too much ultra-processed food, so she decided action

- Rachel Tompkins

I was in the supermarket recently, queuing to pay for my trolley-load of food, when I spied the woman in front of me loading the conveyor belt with a colourful array of good stuff - tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, apples, fresh chicken breasts... I suddenly felt rather ashamed of my own haul which included a multipack of crisps, chocolate breakfast cereals and my sons' favourite, curly fries.

My husband and I both work fulltime - me as a writer - while juggling looking after our sons Rory, 11, and Seb, seven, so when it comes to meals it is easier to opt for something you can pop in the microwave or oven than it is to make it from scratch. And we are not alone. Recent research shows consumers eat more ultraprocessed foods (UPF) in the UK than anywhere else in Europe, and almost 60% of an adult's daily diet is made up of junk. I was determined my family would do better. But could all four of us really go a week without any ultraprocessed food? Here's how we got on.

Day1 

The first job was a trip to the supermarket to stock up on ultra-processed food alternatives. Instead of chocolate breakfast cereals, I pick up porridge oats – at a third of the cost too! The frozen potato waffles and chicken nuggets I call on for speedy dinners are replaced with chicken breasts and potatoes, and instead of biscuits, crisps and chocolate bars that the boys snack on in the car home from school, I get nuts, dried fruits and fresh fruit.

Back home I make a chicken and butternut squash curry from scratch. There are no complaints when I dish it up with brown rice. But I must admit, having to forgo my usual evening treat of chocolate buttons is really hard!

Day 2