Should we eat ultra-processed food?

What's best? A morning shower or an evening shower? What can magic teach us about the brain? Making friends as you get older? These are all topics you'll discover in the Reading Room. Our new series of magazine style articles on our website. They each come with highlighted vocabulary, comprehension questions and an audio download. Learn about the world and improve your reading skills with the Reading Room at BBCLearningEnglish.com. Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBCLearningEnglish.com. And I'm Pepper. If you've eaten anything today, then it's likely that some of your food was ultra-processed. Food containing artificial ingredients like additives and sweetness. Ultra-processed foods are everywhere from sliced bread to chocolate biscuits and crisps. They might taste good, but the bad news is that ultra-processed foods have been linked to poor health. They often contain lots of sugar and salt, and have been linked to problems like obesity and diabetes. So how can we tell what food is ultra-processed and what's not? Here's Health Reporter Annabel Rackham on BBC World Service programme What in the World. Ultra-processed foods are things that contain five or more ingredients and things that you wouldn't find in your average kitchen. It's going to have things on there like emulsifiers, preservatives, additives, dyes and sweetness. Annabel describes ultra-processed foods as things containing ingredients you wouldn't find in your kitchen. Do you eat much ultra-processed food, Pepper? Or do you try to avoid it? I used to eat a lot of ultra-processed foods, and now I try to cook everything myself and not eat things like chocolate and snacks all day. How about you? I think the same. I tried to cook things using just normal ingredients just so you know what's gone into it. In this episode we'll be discussing ultra-processed food as well as learning some useful new vocabulary. And remember there's also a quiz and worksheet available on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. But now I have a question for you, Pepper. Fizzy drinks like cola and lemonade are another example of popular ultra-processed foods, but when were Fizzy drinks invented? Was it A1772, B1872 or C1972? Well, I think it was before 1972, but 1772 sounds like too early, so I'm going to say B1872. We'll find out the answer at the end of the programme. One reason for the popularity of ultra-processed food is convenience. Let's hear more from Health Reporter Annabelle, who talks here with Hannah Gelbart, presenter of BBC World Services, What in the World? So I do think convenience, it is the main issue there. And again, with a ready meal, you put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes, it's done, it's hot, it serves you. Whereas you know, sometimes cooking a fresh meal from scratch, that can take a really long time. What's your ultra-processed, guilty food? Oh, packet biscuits, something like that, a cake, that is my guilty pleasure. Ultra-processed foods, like ready meals, are convenient. A ready meal is a meal from a supermarket that has already been prepared and can be heated up quickly in a microwave. That's a lot quicker and easier than cooking from scratch, an idiom meaning to do something from the very beginning without using anything that's already been made. Even though ultra-processed foods are often unhealthy, they taste good. That's why Annabelle calls chocolate her guilty pleasure. A guilty pleasure is something you enjoy, but think you shouldn't and feel a little embarrassed about. Ultra-processed food is a tricky topic. We know these foods have been linked to poor health, but at the same time, they're cheap, convenient and taste good. So what should we do? Here's Hannah and Annabelle discussing this for BBC programme What in the World. Is it okay for me to have a packet of crisps once in a while? Should we be cutting ultra-processed foods out of our diets completely or is there a way for us to still enjoy them from time to time? I think the best thing to do is just not to panic. Everything is fine in moderation. Hannah asks if it's okay to eat ultra-processed foods once in a while or from time to time. The phrase is once in a while and from time to time mean occasionally, sometimes but not very often. Annabelle replies using the phrase "everything in moderation", which advises us that it's best to avoid too much of anything. That sounds sensible to me and it also means I won't feel bad about eating chocolate now and then. Okay, Pippa, it's time to reveal the answer to my question. Now, I asked you when fizzy drinks were invented. You said 1872, I'm afraid the correct answer was 1772. Apparently carbonated water was used to try to prevent scurvy on sea voyages. Wow, that is amazing. I wouldn't have thought it was that long ago. Right, let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt. Starting with reddemeal, a meal from a supermarket that has already been prepared so you can heat it up quickly. If you do something from scratch, you do it from the very beginning without using anything that's already been made. A guilty pleasure is something you enjoy but feel guilty or embarrassed about because you think you shouldn't do it. The phrase is once in a while and from time to time mean occasionally, not very often. And finally, the phrase "everything in moderation" is used to advise someone that is best to avoid too much of anything. Once again, our six minutes are up but if you're hungry for more, head over to our website bwclearningenglish.com for more tasty topics and useful vocabulary. See you again soon but for now, it's goodbye. Bye! 6-Mate English from bbclearningenglish.com