& For A Month

Sept 16, 2025

Making A Switch To Healthy Foods For A Month

Connecticut Family Goes Ultra-Processed Food-Free for a Month: Surprising Health Benefits for Nutmeg State Residents

Adapted for Connecticut families seeking wellness tips

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are linked to serious health concerns like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, impacting families from Hartford to Stamford, according to Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of the Tufts Food Is Medicine Institute.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that roughly 60% of children’s calories in the U.S., including those enjoying school lunches in Bridgeport or summer fairs in New Haven, come from UPFs. Amid debates over regulation, one anonymous Connecticut family decided to eliminate UPFs for a month to see if it could transform their daily life using the state’s abundant local foods.

The experiment began with an 8-year-old child in a Connecticut home, sourcing fresh ingredients from local spots like the Hartford Farmers’ Market or Big Y stores, aiming to ditch UPFs and embrace whole foods during the state’s vibrant harvest season.

Defining Ultra-Processed Foods for Connecticut Shoppers

For simplicity while shopping at Stop & Shop or Stew Leonard’s, the family adopted a clear rule: Avoid foods with additives not found in a typical home pantry, like maltodextrin, soy lecithin, or guar gum. This eliminated favorites common in New England households, such as Cheez-Its, Ritz Crackers, Pirate’s Booty, deli bagels, pita chips, milk chocolate bars, and flavored sparkling waters.

Embracing Connecticut’s Minimally Processed Foods

The family stocked up on whole and minimally processed options from Connecticut’s local bounty: rolled oats from regional mills, plain Greek yogurt from nearby dairies, fresh cheeses from Litchfield County, dried beans, nuts from farm stands, canned wild salmon, plain popcorn kernels, seasonal fruits like Connecticut apples and blueberries, and fresh or frozen vegetables like Shoreline corn or kale from community-supported agriculture.

The rule was simple: No UPFs in the house, but unlimited access to these wholesome foods. Craving sweets? They baked using fresh Connecticut eggs and flour. After 30 days, they’d assess the impact, but benefits appeared sooner than expected.

Day 10: Fewer Cravings for Busy Connecticut Families

By day 10, a parent noticed a striking change: The constant “food noise”—cravings for chocolate after a drive on I-95, banana bread on rainy Fairfield days, or salty snacks during UConn games—faded away. A Nature Medicine study of 50 adults supports this, showing that minimally processed diets reduced cravings and led to weight loss. “I was surprised,” said lead researcher Samuel Dicken from University College London. “Weight loss usually increases appetite, but this did the opposite.”

Snacking dropped, freeing energy for family outings like hikes in Sleeping Giant State Park, with even more dramatic changes in the child’s eating habits.

Picky Eating Fades with Whole Foods

By week three, a typical dinner of turkey meatballs from a local butcher, wild rice, and sautéed bok choy became a hit. The child, once a picky eater who’d skip greens and nibble protein, eagerly ate it all. Many Connecticut parents in places like West Hartford relate to “picky kid syndrome,” but this shift raised a question: Do UPFs disrupt kids’ natural hunger for nutrient-rich foods?

Why UPFs Disrupt Hunger, Per Experts

“Absolutely,” says Ashley Gearhardt, a University of Michigan psychologist. UPFs like crackers or organic gummies, packed with refined sugars and carbs, trigger snacking cycles. “After eating crackers, a blood-sugar crash hits two hours later, driving more cravings,” she explains. For Connecticut families juggling soccer in Glastonbury or PTA meetings, this cycle undermines healthy eating, but local whole foods can break it.

The Whole Family Commits to UPF-Free Living

The changes were so compelling that the entire family joined in, phasing out UPFs and embracing Connecticut’s fresh offerings. They used a bread machine for minimally processed loaves with local grains and a pressure cooker for quick stews with produce from Yale’s community gardens or nearby orchards. Dr. Mozaffarian notes, “Foods better for you often taste better too,” like a homemade Connecticut apple pie versus a store-bought pastry.

One Month Later: A New Normal for Connecticut Wellness

What started as a 30-day trial became a lifestyle for this anonymous family, rooted in Connecticut’s food scene. They gained sustained energy for beach days in Old Saybrook or fall hikes in the Berkshires, with fewer cravings and more family dinners. For Connecticut residents, the advice is simple: Start at a farmers’ market, read labels, and tap into the state’s fresh bounty for healthier, happier homes.