Blog

‹ Back

What’s trending...

Ultra-processed foods (UPF’s) and the Health Star rating system certainly hit the spotlight in September 2026. If you haven’t seen the 7 News Spotlight exposé ‘Hidden Dangers in Modern Foods’, it’s worth a watch. You can find it here.  

I was learning all about this back in 2015 when I was studying Functional Nutrition, so it’s taken a long time for the national news to catch up. Maybe the health impacts are finally hard to ignore.                   

Our fast-paced life has altered the way in which we view food and meal times; opting for the abundant ready-made processed foods and fast foods.

An UPF is a food that you cannot make at home because it contains ingredients that you don’t have in your kitchen. These foods contain additives and fillers like emulsifiers, sweeteners, preservatives and stabilisers. They also go through processes that we cannot replicate at home. This increases shelf-life, keeps cost of production low and contains the right mix of salt, sugar and fat to keep you hooked. The ‘Bliss Point’.

Convenience and speed. Lab-created options that hook you in. Yup, I’ve been there!

Marketing on the packaging may not be all it’s cracked up to be…

‘Healthy’ Ticks and Stars

Back before I started reading ingredients on labels around 2010, I used to think I was making a good choice by choosing products that had the Heart Foundation Tick of approval. It wasn’t always necessarily so.

The tick was phased out around 2015 as they introduced the Health Star rating system. Thankfully by that time I was aware of UPF’s and marketing tactics and knew it was a crock of sh!te.

Products marketed as ‘Health’ foods or trendy alternatives can also be UPF’s.

Let’s look at oat milk. It has become very popular as an alternative to dairy milk due to its creamy texture and suitability for those with lactose intolerance or dairy allergies.

Some sites say oat milk is not an UPF – others say it is. It likely depends on the ingredients and processing.

Let’s look at ‘So Good Oat No Added Sugar Milk’.

The Marketing: ‘… has a smooth and creamy texture without any added sugar. It's a wholesome, nutritious dairy-free alternative perfect for smoothies and cereals.’ It has a health star rating of 4/5.

Ingredients: filtered water, milled oats (9%), vegetable oils, minerals (calcium, phosphorous), salt, natural flavour, antioxidant (ascorbic acid), vitamins (B12, A, B2, D, B1)

The main ingredient is filtered water (more than 9% of the product) followed by 9% milled oats.

Vegetable oils – we don’t know what plant they’ve come from. Vegetable oils can become unstable during processing, leading to oxidation and thereby contributing to inflammation and health issues, including heart disease and metabolic disorders.

Natural flavours – even though the primary source starts from something natural, the final mixture can contain up to 90 non-flavour ingredients. They can include dozens of different chemical components mixed by food chemists.

The vitamins and minerals may be lab-created varieties too. Some brands put in added sugar.

So whether you’re looking for pre-made oat milk or another product at the supermarket, dismiss the marketing and read the ingredients list instead. Find the better option within the category.

Making home-made oat milk is as easy as blending rolled oats and filtered water then straining the liquid away from the pulp, if desired.

As we all know, trends aren’t just in the supermarket aisle.

The shift…

In 2026, I’ve noticed a shift in the wellness space (and so have many of my fellow practitioners): away from quick fixes and trendy fads and towards sustainable habits, personalisation, community, joy, simplicity; a more holistic approach. It’s a shift the Global Wellness Summit’s Trends Report also picked up on.

It makes my heart sing.

Because health just doesn’t revolve around nutrition or the scales. And there’s definitely not one-size-fits-all.

At the same time, we have to be aware of the difference between being on-track and being obsessive.

Being on track means you have sustainable routines that support your health without consuming your life. You can be flexible, you enjoy food, you don't panic if things aren't perfect.

Being obsessive means you're anxious when you can't control everything, you can't enjoy events, you're constantly thinking about food and exercise. If your habits are causing stress rather than reducing it, then that's a red flag. Health should add to your life, not consume it.

Rigid food rules can tip people into obsessive patterns. When we become obsessive, then it's no longer 'healthy', a pattern I unpack more in my post on diet culture.

That's why I prefer:

• the 80/20 rule
• that no food is 'off the table'
• to be content with any choice made
• no food is "good" or "bad"
• awareness – of self, connections and environment

PS: Here are 3 ways I can help you: 

1. Follow me on socials (links in footer)

2. Subscribe to emails for tips and inspiration on living a holistic, healthy life as you age

3. Work with me either 1 on 1 or join a group program