Home cooking and minimally processed foods best for weight loss, study finds

Trial groups ate only ultra-processed meals like ready-made pizzas, or only minimally processed foods, over an eight-week period. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA

People lose more weight if they cook minimally processed food from scratch than if they eat ultra-processed and ready-made foods, according to the first study to establish a clear link between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and weight.

Trial participants were given one of two diets with the same nutritional profile for eight weeks. One diet was made up of UPFs while the other comprised minimally processed foods.