You can’t pay attention to health news these days without hearing the phrase “ultra-processed” at least once. New studies continue to emerge that warn of the dangers these foods pose to our overall health. State governments are already springing into action, with both California and Arizona addressing the presence of ultra-processed foods in school lunches. Meanwhile, the public is looking at synthetic dyes with increased scrutiny.
Whether or not you’re familiar with the term “ultra-processed foods,” they’re pretty hard to avoid. About 60 percent of the U.S. diet comprises ultra-processed food. That’s no surprise considering that so much of what we eat is processed: deli meat, packaged bread, soda, chips—even the oat milk in your fridge. A recent report, however, made headlines for showing just how much ultra-processed foods negatively impact our health. The review of 45 studies in the British Medical Journal found strong links between eating even one serving a day and cardiovascular disease, mental disorders, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and mortality.
But will eating chips occasionally really send us to an early grave? And how do we know if those chips are “ultra” processed in the first place?
What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?
“The terms processed and ultra-processed are thrown around a lot lately and are viewed as negative, but it’s important to know what makes a food processed versus ultra-processed,” Diana Rodriguez, MS, RD, CPT at New York City Nutrition, tells Delish.
Nearly every food item we buy at the store is processed in some way. Take your standard turkey sandwich. It’s probably made with packaged bread, sliced cheese, deli meat, and perhaps some mayo and mustard—all of which are, technically, processed.
Using the USDA definition, Rodriguez said that processed food is any food that’s undergone a change from its natural state, which can include washing, cooking, freezing, drying, packaging, and much more.
Minimally processed foods have only been slightly altered. Think sliced and packaged fruit and vegetables, milk, and eggs.
And then you have ultra-processed food, which she said undergoes multiple processes like extrusion and milling, and has a lot of added ingredients. Most nutrients are stripped, and there’s usually a high amount of sugar, fat, and sodium in ultra-processed foods. This includes obvious items like soda, candy, and hot dogs, along with sneakier groceries like breakfast cereal, plant-based meats, and dairy substitutes.
There’s also the widely-used NOVA system, which categorizes food based on how processed it is. The NOVA system has four categories: unprocessed or minimally processed, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods.
Processed foods are sold commercially, and they’re often designed to have a long shelf life and to be convenient. With the average American not eating enough fiber from produce, Rodriguez said that minimally processed sliced fruits and vegetables at the store make it more convenient to eat more produce without the added need to wash, dry, and cut it.
“Even though processed foods like bread, cheese, tofu, canned fruits and vegetables have been altered, they are not detrimental to your health. They are easy, convenient and help you build nutrient-rich meals to keep you healthy and satisfied,” she said.
How Unhealthy Are Ultra-Processed Foods?
Research shows that a diet filled with ultra-processed foods that are high in added sugar, salt, and fat can impact one’s health negatively and lead to all kinds of health issues and even increase your mortality risks. These negative effects may be due to the lack of essential nutrients and fiber in ultra-processed foods, their high calorie content leading to overconsumption, and the presence of industrial ingredients that can disrupt the gut microbiome and cause inflammation.
Some medical studies argue that specific ultra-processed ingredients pose an even higher risk. Cooking oils with linoleic acid have been connected to colon cancer, and other ultra-processed foods are believed to trigger cognitive decline and the onset of Alzheimer’s.
The alarm bells have been ringing for ultra-processed foods in general. But just like with other types of foods, there are some caveats. “While we could all find ways to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods, it’s important to consider the nutritional value of the food, not the processing itself,” she said.
In 2023, researchers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center demonstrated that it’s feasible to construct a nutritious diet aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans while deriving 91% of calories from ultra-processed foods. (The foods were deemed ultra-processed using the NOVA scale.) This study challenged conventional wisdom about the role of food processing in healthy eating patterns.
This shows that there’s a lot of variation in the category—just because something is called ultra-processed, doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily “bad” for you.
“The study is a proof-of-concept that shows a more balanced view of healthy eating patterns, where using ultra-processed foods can be an option,” said Julie Hess, ARS Research Nutritionist at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, in a USDA press release.
“For example, for people who have milk allergies or choose a vegetarian/vegan diet, soy milk is the best nutrient-rich option,” said Rodriguez. “Does that mean the plant-based option is bad because it falls under the ultra-processed? No.”
While research shows the negative impacts ultra-processed food can have on health, studies also show that it can fit within current dietary guidelines. It appears that it ultimately comes down to the individual and the types of food they’re eating. A diet where the main ultra-processed foods are candy and soda is arguably much different than one where the ultra-processed foods are fiber-rich bread and low-sugar breakfast cereal.
Ultra-Processed Food And Your Diet
When it comes to advising her clients, Rodriguez tries to meet them where they are by learning their diet history and making small changes to improve their health. If you’re buying ultra-processed foods, she recommends reading the label and ingredient list to make an informed decision. Try to select options with the least sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars. And for packaged goods, look for items with USDA Organic certification—which are all free of artificial dyes, flavors, and preservatives.
You can also try to cook more of your meals at home. “Cooking at home helps you become more aware of your food choices and ingredients being added,” she said.
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About Me: As an associate editor at Delish, Gabby works on everything from features to recipes to content on our social media channels. Before joining the team, she wrote for StarChefs Rising Stars Magazine, Mashed, and Food52. When she’s not developing cocktail recipes, she’s making cocktail-inspired dishes like and . Her features cover online trends like the , rank everything from to , and answer some of your most pressing food safety questions. You can also find her posting content on Delish’s TikTok, including her about cooking like influencer Nara Smith that garnered over 3M combined views. She loves eating spicy food, collecting cookbooks, and adding a mountain of Parmesan to any dish she can.
As the Associate Editor at Delish, Allie is a writer, reporter, and producer of features at the intersection of food and culture. Before Delish, Allie worked for publications including Apartment Therapy and Insider. She even spent time working in restaurants and breweries. Allie has dumpster-dived in NYC to expose food waste, reported on the invasive lionfish you can eat, and wrote about the growing trend of weed weddings. Her health and nutrition stories on hydration culture, bananas, and coffee have generated nearly 2M combined views. She loves traveling, running, and eating her way through new places and even has a thorough Google Maps ranking system for her favorite restaurants and bars! When not writing about food, she’s planning her next trip, lifting weights, or training for a race.
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