People worried about ultra-processed foods should not dismiss beans on toast as part of a healthy, balanced diet, nutritionists have said. Eating ultra-processed foods such as ice cream, ham, crisps, mass-produced bread, and breakfast cereal has been linked to a number of poor health outcomes, including an increased risk of some cancers, weight gain and heart disease.
Now the British Nutrition Foundation has said beans on toast may be ultra-processed, but the popular dish can still be part of a balanced diet. It said some foods that are ultra-processed – including wholemeal bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals, baked beans, tomato-based pasta sauces and fruit yogurts – can be a “convenient and affordable source of some important nutrients”.
British Nutrition Foundation spokeswoman Bridget Benelam said: “For many of us, when we get home after a busy day, foods like baked beans, wholemeal toast, fish fingers or ready-made pasta sauces are an affordable way to get a balanced meal on the table quickly.
