Cooking the Mediterranean Way: Simple Ultra-Processed Food Swaps
If you're trying to limit ultra-processed foods, these simple, satisfying swaps will help you cut back—without giving up flavor, convenience, or the joy of eating.
If you’ve been hearing more about ultra-processed foods lately, you’re not alone. We recently had the chance to talk with Melissa Halas, MA, RDN, CDE, a leader in functional nutrition and creator of The Non-UPF Program, to help us better understand:
What ultra-processed foods actually are
Why they matter for our long-term health
And how we can reduce them in a way that’s simple and sustainable
Read the full article here:
It was such a helpful conversation, and it really resonated with many of you. So we wanted to follow up with something practical: a few easy swaps you can make in your kitchen to cut back on ultra-processed foods without giving up flavor, convenience, or the joy of eating.
Because that’s what the Mediterranean lifestyle is all about. It’s not restrictive. It’s not all-or-nothing. It’s about choosing real, nourishing foods that support your health and still make mealtime something to look forward to.
We’re also sharing two of my go-to recipes that I’ve been making at home lately, plus some of our favorite store-bought brands that keep ingredients simple.
Let’s take a look at what we can add to our meals so that reducing UPFs feels less overwhelming and a lot more doable.