Grocery shopping has transformed significantly in recent years. On Saturday mornings, I find myself at the bustling farmers’ market rather than the local supermarket, gathering fresh fish, meat, apples, cheese, and berries—enough to feed a family of four.
However, this new shopping routine doesn’t come without its costs; our weekly grocery expenses have increased compared to when we embarked on a journey to eliminate ultra-processed foods (UPFs) from our diet five years ago.
In 2021, I delved into the world of UPFs, learning about how these products are designed, engineered, and marketed. Books like *Salt Sugar Fat* by Michael Moss opened my eyes to the intricate processes that create these addictive foods and the potential health ramifications they carry.
One striking revelation was not technical in nature. Moss highlights a former Frito-Lay scientist who transformed his own diet to avoid the very foods he once meticulously crafted.
Research surrounding UPFs and their health impacts has been rapidly growing. A series of studies published by *The Lancet* in 2025 examined their effects on health, revealing that diets high in UPFs correlate with heightened chronic disease risks and increased caloric intake.
Moreover, the production and consumption of UPFs have contributed to the decline of traditional food cultures, environmental damage, and a concentration of power among major food corporations.
The whole scenario began to feel like a grand deception.
The Mission: Reduce UPFs in My Family’s Diet
After gaining insight into UPFs, I committed to lowering their presence in our diet. Like many families, we relied on canned goods and convenient supermarket meals, preparing many basic recipes at home.
We chose to cook more from scratch. My journey began by making chicken stock, followed by yogurt, and eventually ice cream with a vintage machine.
We noticed that organic, pasture-raised products and farmer’s market produce simply tasted superior to the items we had been purchasing. This shift encouraged us to cook and bake more often, replacing frozen chicken tenders and nuggets with homemade alternatives, along with salad dressings, pasta sauces, cakes, cookies, and snacks.
Fast forward to today: we haven’t purchased frozen pizza or liquid chicken stock in six years. The last time we bought frozen chicken tenders, fish sticks, or supermarket ice cream was in 2023.
The Costs of Reducing UPFs – Financial and Otherwise
This change wasn’t without financial implications; our overall food expenses increased.
Since 2019, I have been tracking our family’s grocery spending. Although I didn’t focus solely on UPFs, the data reveals clear consumption patterns over the years. For example:
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In 2021, we spent $158.63 on cereal; by 2025, this dropped to $34.34.
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Our yogurt expenses went from $260.29 in 2021 to just $24.27 in 2025.
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We eliminated protein bars from our shopping list, which previously cost us $261.04 in 2021.
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Our peak spending on frozen chicken tenders was in 2020, at $159.76, but we haven’t bought any in the last two years.
Conversely, our spending in other categories increased, particularly on fruits, vegetables, and essential ingredients like flour, sugar, milk, eggs, and meat:
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Butter costs increased over fourfold between 2021 and 2025, totaling $234.22.
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Sugar expenses skyrocketed from $9.47 to $83.10, reflecting my increased baking activities.
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The most significant rise was in fruits and vegetables, jumping from $2,578.32 in 2021 to $5,706.36 last year.
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In 2021, we opted for humanely raised meat, spending nearly $2,500 on raw beef and chicken, compared to about $1,500 the previous year. However, in 2022, we reduced our meat spending to about $1,000 by eating more dried beans.
It’s challenging to quantify the overall impact of switching away from UPFs, but it’s evident that the costs rose. Our grocery spending was $6,213.95 in 2019, escalating to $15,531.60 last year—our highest in seven years of tracking.
Inflation has certainly played a role; in 2025, food inflation in the US hovered around 2-3%, and food prices increased approximately 30% since 2019. Additionally, we increasingly sought out higher-quality ingredients, which came with a steeper price tag.
In 2021, when we began buying better and organic items, our family also welcomed a new member; our total grocery expenditure that year reached $10,140.87. By 2025, our food consumption had changed significantly, making direct comparisons difficult. While we bought fewer UPFs, we also dined out much less frequently.
I also dedicated significantly more time and effort to sourcing quality ingredients and cooking from scratch. The most challenging aspect of reducing UPF consumption is the time commitment involved; preparing meals from scratch can take several hours. As a stay-at-home parent, I have more availability than working parents may have. Not everyone possesses the same resources or has access to high-quality whole foods.
“Research supports a clear correlation between high UPF consumption and poor health,” states Bettina Elias Siegel, former lawyer, food policy advocate, and author of *Kid Food*. “However, we must recognize that UPFs provide an affordable, accessible, and time-efficient option that many families rely on.”
Current food systems and the pace of modern life significantly contribute to high UPF consumption. “There is compelling evidence indicating that UPFs are detrimental to American nutrition and health,” notes Priya Fielding-Singh, sociologist and author of *How the Other Half Eats*. “Simultaneously, our food environment largely encourages, and often defaults to, UPF consumption.”
Fielding-Singh, whose research focuses on food access and equity, highlights the pandemic’s impact on job stress, household incomes, and soaring grocery prices. “Families, particularly those with lower incomes, have always faced challenges affording healthy food,” she explains. “Now they must also contend with rising costs for healthier, more nutritious options, alongside reductions and restrictions to SNAP benefits. Overall, living expenses in America have simply increased over the past five years.”
The Day-to-Day Realities of Eliminating UPFs
While we have made strides in reducing UPFs, complete elimination remains unattainable.
Considering our children’s food influences, our daughter is eight and our son six; we navigate birthday parties, school events, and playdates where UPF-laden options abound. We don’t adhere to strict guidelines, instead adapting our approach to each circumstance. At birthday parties, for instance, they may indulge in one juice box and a slice of cake. During Halloween, they select their favorites from their candy haul, and we donate the rest.
I frequently bake, and my children often prefer my homemade creations over commercially available treats.
Chris van Tulleken, a doctor and author of *Ultra-Processed People*, mentions he eats very few UPFs. “I will have them to be social and polite,” he states. “If they’re served to me, I might partake, but I wouldn’t seek them out myself.”
Our family adopts a similar stance, though there is one packaged item that continues to elude my attempts at replacement: boxed macaroni and cheese. Despite my efforts to create both stovetop and baked versions, my kids still hold a preference for the store-bought variety.
Dalia Perelman, a research dietitian at Stanford University, emphasizes that the goal isn’t total avoidance of UPFs but rather reducing their presence in meals. Instead of pairing a hotdog with chips and soda, consider serving it with corn on the cob and sparkling water or swapping in a grilled chicken sandwich.
Although the journey is not easy and demands time, commitment, and consistency, we didn’t set unrealistic standards for ourselves. If you wish to start making changes, here are some insights based on my experiences:
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Developing a palate that no longer craves UPFs is crucial. As your taste adjusts, you’ll find that resisting these foods becomes easier. Personally, I now consider most store-bought desserts excessively sweet, and many pre-packaged meals lack the complex flavors and textures of homemade alternatives.
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Both children’s and adults’ palates can be surprisingly adaptable. My kids now prefer our homemade chicken nuggets over the frozen option.
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Establish a culture around food within your family. Cook frequently and share meals together.
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Engage your children in discussions about food, covering topics such as ingredients, nutrition, and food origins. For example, to illustrate gut microbiomes, we talk about “good tummy bugs” and their love for various plant foods.
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Read food labels carefully. To successfully reduce UPFs, you must identify where they appear (spoiler: they are found almost everywhere).
The Bigger Picture
Initially, my motivations for reducing UPFs were health-oriented. Yet, the deeper I dove into the topic, the more apparent it became that this is a matter of justice. It’s unjust that many people lack the resources to eat well, have the time to prepare wholesome meals, or access fresh produce consistently.
Whole foods need to be both accessible and economical. People should be given accurate information about their food choices, and producers deserve fair compensation. “If you consider human health, antimicrobial resistance, pandemic risks, plastic waste, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and land use changes—all of these issues are interconnected through UPF consumption and fundamentally relate to justice and rights,” emphasizes van Tulleken.
While individual actions carry weight, van Tulleken insists that grassroots movements stem from diverse inspirations: “When people engage with books, podcasts, documentaries, and scientific studies, they take action. Parents in schools advocate for change and vote accordingly. This mirrors the historical shift regarding cigarette sales to children: research was conducted, and gradually societal pressures led to the changes we desired, like preventing cigarette sales to minors.”
In the U.S., recently released dietary guidelines now prioritize protein (noting that many protein-rich products are, in fact, UPFs), encourage “real food” consumption, and advise lesser processed food intake. Experts have expressed concerns regarding these guidelines, highlighting queries about the structural changes necessary for their effectiveness.
“The updated guidelines suggesting that children avoid sugar until age 11 is an admirable goal in public health. However, its practical implementation is incredibly challenging because sugar lurks in so many unexpected foods,” notes Fielding-Singh.
“Moreover, we need fundamental structural and policy changes to make these recommendations viable. Otherwise, we risk imposing guilt on individuals attempting to navigate a complex food system that makes adherence to guidelines exceedingly difficult.”
One major shift I’ve experienced through this new lifestyle is the freedom from guilt. Previously, I felt obligated to consume more leafy greens and reduce UPFs. Yet, much of the guidance I received felt overwhelming or unattainable. This transformation unfolded gradually, one food item at a time, and as I gained culinary skills and knowledge, our new dietary habits became more intuitive.
As my children grow, I hope their culinary experiences continue to expand, fostering not just nourishment but also joy in their relationship with food.
