It’s hard to look at a packet of Monster Munch or a chocolate biscuit now without the words ‘ultra-processed food’ (UPF) flashing through your brain. It’s almost enough to put you off, but then you get sucked in by the nostalgia factor of Frazzles or a desperate need to dunk a Hobnob in a cup of tea…

Or maybe not. If you’ve read Ultra-Processed People by TV doctor Chris van Tulleken, you might already be religiously checking the labels on your favourite snacks, pasta sauces, cereals, yoghurt, sausages, vegan meat alternatives and – worst of all – bread.

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UPFs “are industrially processed foods and contain ingredients that aren’t typically used in home kitchens,” explains food writer and registered nutritionist Delicia Bale. “They’re also normally high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt and low in fibre and micronutrients. In research, they have been described as ‘hyper-palatable’ – they’re designed to be over-consumed.”

Bale, 27, has written her debut cookbook, Unprocessed Made Easy. “When reducing UPFs in people’s diets, they don’t really know where to start,” she says. “So my book is focused on direct swaps for foods that typically are processed.”

She provides homemade trades for everything from granola and pancakes to noodles, soups, pizza and burgers while keeping costs low and, crucially, meal prepping speedy. Because this is the major issue; besides UPFs being so darned delicious and available, it seems so much quicker and easier to just buy the tinned soup or the plastic-wrapped ready meal, than buy a set of ingredients, then go home and transform it into a meal.

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Mozzarella and cherry tomato pizza

Ingredients:

(Makes 1 large pizza)

For the dough:

300g Greek yogurt

135g self-raising flour

135g wholemeal flour

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

½tsp dried oregano

½tsp garlic granules

Pinch of salt

1tbsp olive oil

For the pizza sauce:

200g tinned cherry tomatoes

2tbsp tomato paste

½tsp Italian herbs

½tsp chilli flakes

Salt and black pepper

For the toppings:

1-2 balls of mozzarella, sliced

Handful of cherry vine tomatoes, sliced

½tsp chilli flakes

Chopped basil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

2. Put the Greek yogurt, self-raising and wholemeal flours, bicarbonate of soda, oregano, garlic granules and

salt in a bowl and mix gently until they are combined.

3. Roll the ball out into a thin circle around one centimetre thick and then use your fingers to form a crust around the edge. You may need to use some flour to stop it sticking to the surface.

4. Transfer to a large baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil and bake for 10-12 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, blend the sauce ingredients together until smooth.

6. Remove the pizza from the oven and top with your sauce, the mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, some salt and pepper and the chilli flakes, then place back in the oven to bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the pizza is golden.

7. Serve topped with fresh chopped basil.

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Maple cinnamon granola

Ingredients:

(Makes around 6 portions)

200g oats

60g flaked almonds

60g hazelnuts, chopped

50g pecans, chopped

50g desiccated coconut

50g pumpkin seeds

80g coconut oil, melted

100ml maple syrup

1tsp vanilla extract

1tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC.

2. Mix together the oats, flaked almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, desiccated coconut, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt until well combined.

3. Spread the mixture evenly onto a lined baking sheet (you may need to split it between two sheets as if it is too thick, it won’t cook all the way through).

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the granola is slightly golden.

5. Leave to cool for around 30 minutes, then break into pieces.

Baked squash mac and cheese

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks

4tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

2tbsp chopped sage

2tbsp thyme leaves

60g plain flour

900ml semi-skimmed milk

2tsp Dijon mustard

75g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

50g vegetarian Italian hard cheese, grated

400g wholegrain macaroni

Salt and black pepper

For the topping:

4tbsp breadcrumbs

Grated Cheddar cheese

Thyme

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

2. Place the butternut squash in a baking tray along with half the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast the squash for 20-30 minutes until soft and golden brown.

3. Cook the remaining olive oil, garlic, sage and thyme in a pan for a couple of minutes until fragrant

4. Then add the flour and mix together. Cook this for a couple of minutes. Gradually add the milk, a bit at a time, mixing in between to avoid lumps until it thickens.

5. Stir in the mustard, cheeses and roasted butternut squash and cook for a couple of minutes, then blend until smooth.

6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

7. Stir the cooked pasta and sauce together, then transfer to an ovenproof dish and top with breadcrumbs, grated Cheddar cheese and thyme. Then grill for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

Unprocessed Made Easy by Delicia Bale ANutr is published by Ebury Press