Rob Hobson

The run up to Spring can traditionally be a time to re-evaluate what we eat, usually from the perspective of fat or sugar.
Following on from a year that saw the success of the book Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken, the nutritionist Rob Hobson looks at our intake of food from another angle and examines the way ultra-processed food items can make up at least 50% of the average weekly shop.
The term ‘ultra-processed food’ doesn’t only include the obvious candidates such as sweets and ready meals but so often a ‘healthy’ cereal or fruit drink product can fall into the category. So many things we eat have been through a multitude of procedures and places before we see it, even if we assume it’s fresh.
As our relationship with food convenience and cost evolves, this aspect can be less obvious to spot. Helpfully, the book has an excellent breakdown of the official NOVA system of categorisation from the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations.
There are useful FAQs answered and then some really useful information on buying and storing various foods.
The recipes are well laid out and straightforward with appealing photographs of what you could be making to eat this year.
The roasted red pepper sauce is a particularly tempting concoction, along with the Middle Eastern spiced aubergine stew, not to mention the sweet potato brownies!