27 February 2025
Ultra-processed foods are everywhere. They make up 67% of daily energy intake for under 14-year-olds in the UK, and it’s not hard to see why. The big companies that make these industrially manufactured and hyper-palatable products use expensive marketing, sophisticated lobbying and addictive ingredient combinations to lure children in and get them hooked for life. This not only puts children’s immediate health at risk but promotes a damaging relationship with food that often continues to adulthood, with UPF-rich diets being linked to increased body weight, dental issues, and potential impacts on growth and development.
This is why, at the Soil Association, through our programmes such as Food for Life and our campaigns, we want to shine the spotlight on the solution: minimally processed foods. Our recent Out to Lunch campaign had an army of parents and families investigating which high street chains offer the best freshly prepared and healthiest meal options.
Our investigators reported how “ripped off” they felt being served ultra-processed ready meals when eating out, and equally how refreshing it was to be served freshly prepared meals made with whole ingredients.
For over 20 years, Food for Life has been working with schools, nurseries and caterers across the UK to get meals that are at least 75% freshly prepared with whole and minimally processed ingredients on our plates. Through our work we’ve seen thousands of plates transformed by the increasing awareness of and access to good food. Whether it’s school pupils trying home-grown fruit or customers enjoying vibrant and healthy meals served by Food for Life caterers, the impact of making good food available for all can’t be understated.
As part of our Food for Life work, we support local authorities to make good food the norm in their areas. Commissioned by Walsall Council, we’ve been working with schools and nurseries there since 2017.
We hear parents concern when they see what's available on the high street. They don't want their children choosing between pre-packaged chicken nuggets or pasta sauce from a jar - it's a rip off and a worry when it comes to health. We've been working with schools in Walsall for eight years to ensure children can access good food during the school day, but we need to see change on our high streets and in our supermarkets now. Parents want to feel confident their children can enjoy freshly prepared food as the norm, not as a premium product.
Do you want to be part of the good food movement and help to ensure that we all have access to whole, minimally processed food? Our parent pack is a great way to get started, with plenty of advice and ideas for how to start making a difference where you are, no matter how much time or resources you have.
