'My essential tips after ditching sugar and ultra-processed foods for six months'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Deciding to cut out refined sugar and ultra-processed food from your diet can feel daunting - especially when thinking about removing 'staple' foods from your meals.

So when Wales Online editor Steffan Rhys opted for a no-sugar diet in 2024 he 'honestly didn't think [he] would last very long'.

But six months into his diet, Steffan admitted cutting these standard foods while still eating simple and cheap meals turned out to be 'simple, easy and rewarding'. Steffan writes... Like lots of us who start the new year feeling sluggish and unhealthy after eating and drinking too much in December, I thought I'd probably get through January easily, then struggle to go without chocolate or find time to make a breakfast without granola or a quick lunch without bread and crisps. READ MORE: 'There's been a huge queue outside this place next to Primark every day - so I joined it' But six months on, and not only am I managing to stick with it, I'm finding it easy, rewarding and I'm struggling to see how I'd go back to old eating habits.

It was initially a bit daunting to think about how I'd remove such "staple" foods from my diet while still being able to eat simple and cheap meals.