Joe Wicks On Protein, UPFs & Homeschooling His Children

In the world of fitness coaches, you don’t get much more famous than Joe Wicks. Having started out with his Richmond-based bootcamps, the Epsom-born trainer garnered a following online for his quick recipe and workout videos, known under his moniker The Body Coach. But it was during the pandemic that Wicks really became a household name, hosting live streamed PE lessons for children every day of lockdown. 

He has a string of bestselling cookbooks under his belt too, including the latest, Protein In 15, which focuses on helping families not only eat more protein, but cut down on consuming ultra-processed food. This is a topic Wicks cares deeply about, which is why he recently decided to team up with UPF expert Chris van Tulleken on a provocative documentary for Channel 4, Joe Wicks: Licensed to Kill. In a bid to highlight the dangers surrounding UPFs, Wicks created a fake ‘KILLER’ protein bar, designed to prompt the government to change food laws. He was clearly well-intentioned, but the show sparked controversy, with some arguing the stunt only added to confusion. 

Here, Wicks shares his take on the backlash, tells us about his new book and gives us a snapshot into his home life with wife Rosie and their four children.

C&TH Meets Joe Wicks

Why did you feel protein was an important topic to cover in your book?

There’s a big shift at the moment between people wanting to look after their health and understanding the importance of protein. There’s a dynamic between wanting to do it, but also relying on the processed foods that have the halo of protein. I want to bring them back into the idea of real food, real cooking, whole ingredients, so it’s about quick food, 15 minutes cook or prep time. I talk a bit about the importance of protein – it’s not just about muscle, it’s about your hair, your skin, your nails, your digestion, your hormones, feeling fuller for longer and having stable blood sugar levels. 

What myths are you keen to debunk about nutrition?

The main thing is just this thing around balance – relaxing a little bit, not having these specific calorie targets and protein goals. I’ve never [done that] and I’m fit, I’m healthy, I’ve got a bit of muscle. So I think it’s just removing that pressure of having to hit a target. Actually, if you remove a bit of ultra-processed food and you cook a bit more at home, guess what? You’re going to lose a bit of weight. Because ultimately, these foods are filling – when you put protein with fats and carbohydrates. It’s just about believing that every day is different, and you don’t have to overthink it. You are going to get enough protein. You’re not protein deficient, and you don’t have to eat steak every day. A lot of these guys are having eggs and avocado and steak every day, but that’s an expensive breakfast. Have some cannellini beans, some chickpeas, some butter beans. There are ways of getting protein into your diet other than just animal protein.

You speak in the book about the concept of ‘snackification’. Are we snacking too much as a nation? 

It’s only when you get into the research that you really understand the way these foods are designed. We always say it’s about moderation. And of course, it’s a lovely idea, but these foods are engineered to be very delicious, snackable, eaten fast, bought in high volume, and so it’s really hard to eat these foods in moderation. We rely too heavily on them. 

We’ve got into this habit of thinking we need snacks all the time, and give our kids snacks every minute of the day. And it affects your appetite, because it doesn’t really fill you up. You want more straight away, so you’re just over consuming calories anyway. I’m not trying to ban ultra-processed foods, but can you just get back to cooking more at home? Maybe take your lunch to work a few days a week versus getting a sandwich in a takeaway deal every day? These things make a difference.

We’re overeating, and it’s a marketing issue – the marketing is so convincing and powerful and really clever. So I’m just trying to get people back in the kitchen, that’s the only solution. We can’t wait around for the government to change things.

Matthew McQuillan / Channel 4

Your documentary for Channel 4 was all about the dangers of ultra-processed food. Do you feel like you have a duty to speak out on these sorts of issues?

I’m mainly inspired by Chris van Tulleken’s book, I read Ultra Processed People and it blew my mind. I thought I ate well, and I did eat well, but I still had a good 30 or 40 percent of my diet coming from ultra-processed food. And I just wanted to understand more. 

I was approached for the documentary. It was quite provocative in its nature, but ultimately, it’s a campaign to help encourage the government to make change and help consumers. There was a lot of negative pushback the first week when I announced the bar, but when it went live and people saw the context and understood the reasoning behind it, I think it was really positive. I had to weather the storm, take a bit of heat, but I knew in my heart it was a good thing. I care about people’s diets. It was a really controversial thing, but it got a lot of people watching and talking so I think it had an impact.

How would you describe life at home with your wife Rosie and your four children?

It’s a house full of love, but it’s also a chaotic, messy house where we’re always running around, cleaning up, tidying. It’s never, ever clean – you might think it looks clean on Instagram, it’s just chaos, but I love it. I really want to be present as much as I can, so we do a lot of activities. We play together, we go in the garden, we go for bike rides, and we try to be active. And also, I really want my kids to enjoy cooking and be a part of it. We homeschool, so we’re either trying to educate them or we’re trying to stop them fighting.

 

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How do you navigate homeschooling with everything else you’ve got going on?

Every day is different, but I think it’s an amazing thing to do. And look, I love them – they’re young, they’re little, they’re going to be grown up soon. They’re probably going to end up in school at some point. I’m not trying to deprive them of school, but now I just love being the biggest influence on them. I don’t know the long term plan, but for now, when they’re so little, it’s good for us.

What about social media – how do you plan to encourage healthy habits surrounding life online?

One of the things I worry about the most is the climate and how the Earth’s going to look. I really think about that, and I think about technology and social media and the impact it’s having. I’m 40, so I didn’t grow up with a phone, and I didn’t grow up with social media, but I see the positives and the negatives, and I’m worried. 

I see the smartphone-free childhood thing, and I think that’s a good thing. We need to work together, parents and groups of friends, let’s all not give our kids a phone this year so they don’t all feel like ‘I need a phone’. I personally want to try and delay that as late as possible, but I know your kids are going to really dislike you if you don’t let them have a phone. So I’ll have to deal with that when I get to it.

What non-negotiable daily habits do you have?

Just a daily workout of any form – I get irritable and a bit snappy and impatient if I don’t have a little bit of exercise. Sometimes it’s on my own, other times I’ll take the kids out, or I’ll just go for a walk with one of the babies and the buggy, and that’s enough. The other thing is, just constantly thinking about the food I’m putting in my body and questioning: is this going to make me feel good and energised, or am I going to feel bloated and miserable and craving more? The food’s the harder part. 

How do you live a life in balance?

I don’t know if I do. I try to set boundaries around the phone – between 6pm and 8pm I turn it off, which means I can enjoy bedtime and dinner time and storytime without rushing to get back to my phone. All I’m doing is getting back to look at Instagram DMs…  so the phone’s the biggest disruptor for me, for feeling like a present parent. For me, it’s not about banning them, I’ve got to ban myself from using it!

Protein in 15: Easy, tasty, unprocessed meals for everyone by Joe Wicks is out now with Leap, hardback, £22.