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What Are Ultra-Processed Foods? Simple Tips to Eat Healthier

August 13, 2025 General /Family
food unsafe What is Food Processing?
minimal-processign

Katia heard on the news that ultra-processed foods may be harmful to her family’s health. She looked in her kitchen and saw lots of packaged foods. Were they ultra-processed?

Let’s find out.

Most foods go through some kind of processing.

✓

Simple (or minimal) processing means the food is changed just a little.

Example: Washing and cooking dried beans.
Other examples: Milk, plain yogurt, rice, pasta, meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables.

✓

Some foods are processed more, but they can still be healthy.

Example: Homemade hummus with oil and spices.

Other examples:
  • Canned vegetables or fruits
  • Canned beans
  • Smoked meats or fish
  • Cheese
  • Homemade bread

So then, what is an Ultra-processed Food

So then, what is an Ultra-processed Food?

Ultra-processed foods are made in factories. They often have:

  • Extra sugar, salt, or fat
  • Additives to change taste, color, or shelf life
  • Ingredients you wouldn’t find in a regular kitchen

Examples include:

  • Packaged snacks (like chips and cookies)
  • Frozen meals and pizza
  • Instant noodles
  • Hot dogs, lunch meats
  • Soda and candy
new1Quick-fact

In the US almost 60% of calories come from ultra-processed foods.

Why are Ultra-processed Foods Unhealthy?

Many ultra-processed foods are often:

  • High in calories
  • Easy to overeat
  • Low in fiber and important nutrients

Eating ultra-processed foods too often can cause:

  • Weight gain
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Heart problems
  • High blood pressure
  • Gut problems (like changes to good bacteria in the body)
  • Depression

Did you know?

Some of the packaging ultra-processed foods comes in may also contain chemicals or microplastics that can affect health.

why-unhealthy
Her Big Win Are all Processed Foods Unhealthy?

No! Some processed foods are still very healthy.

For example:

  • Fresh broccoli is healthy, even with minimal processing (like washing or chopping).
  • Frozen broccoli is also still healthy—even though it’s been processed (by freezing).

Other good, processed foods include:

  • Canned beans
  • Frozen fruit
  • Unsweetened canned fruit or vegetables
Foods-Unhealthy

Did you know?

These foods are picked at their peak ripeness when their flavors are best, and then frozen or canned to last longer.

Her Big Win How to Spot an Ultra-Processed Food
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Read the ingredients label:

  • Are there names you don’t know or can’t pronounce?
  • Would you find those ingredients in your kitchen?
  • A long list of ingredients usually means the food is highly processed.

Watch for added ingredients like:

  • Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
  • Artificial colors (like Red 40 or Yellow 5)
  • Artificial sweeteners (like aspartame or sucralose)
  • Hydrogenated oils
  • High fructose corn syrup
  • Emulsifiers or flavor enhancers (like carrageenan or xanthan gum)
  • Sodium (salt) – also listed as monosodium or disodium phosphate

Foods that may look healthy but often aren’t:

Granola bars

Flavored yogurt

Protein drinks

Gluten-free snacks

Many breakfast cereals

Tip!
Check out the True Food Database to look up how processed different foods are. It’s a free tool created by health experts. You can browse by food category or search for your family’s favorite foods to see how much processing goes into each product.
ultra-unhealthy Ultra-Processed Foods Alternatives

Ultra-processed

Less Processed
Instant pasta soups

Pasta, regular or whole grain, with added herbs and spices

Fish sticks

Canned fish or homemade fish cakes

Flavored, sugar-free yogurt
Plain yogurt with fruit and a little honey
Deli meats
Canned fish, sliced lean pork roast or beef, sliced chicken breast
Bottled salad dressing
Oil and vinegar (or lemon or lime), salt, pepper and spices
Peanut butter with added emulsifiers and sugar
Natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)
Cheese puffs
Whole grain crackers with minimal ingredients or plain tortilla chips
Regular or diet soda, sports drinks
Sparkling water with fruit or homemade agua fresca
Instant mashed potatoes
Baked potato
Katia-eating

Katia was relieved to learn she didn’t have to stop eating all processed foods. She made a few simple swaps, like choosing natural peanut butter, limiting cookies and chips, and making her own salad dressing.

She’s now committed to offering her family less ultra-processed foods and more whole or lightly processed foods. It’s only been a few months and she’s already starting to see and feel an improvement in her and her family’s health and wellbeing!

REFERENCES:

Blake, J. S. (2025, January 23). Examining the NOVA food classification system and the healthfulness of ultra-processed foods. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
https://www.eatrightpro.org/news-center/practice-trends/examining-the-nova-foodclassification-system-and-healthfulness-of-ultra-processed-foods

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2019). Ultra-processed foods, diet quality and health using the NOVA classification system.
https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/5277b379-0acb-4d97-a6a3-602774104629/content

Samuthpongtorn, C., Nguyen, L. H., Okereke, O. I., et al. (2023). Consumption of ultraprocessed food and risk of depression. JAMA Network Open, 6(9), e2334770.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.34770

Lane, M. M., Gamage, E., Du, S., Ashtree, D. N., McGuinness, A. J., Gauci, S., et al. (2024). Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: Umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. BMJ, 384, e077310.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077310

Marino, M., Puppo, F., Del Bo’, C., Vinelli, V., Riso, P., Porrini, M., & Martini, D. (2021). A systematic review of worldwide consumption of ultra-processed foods: Findings and criticisms. Nutrients, 13(8), 2778.
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082778

Brown, S. (2024, May 20). These 7 breakfast staples are ultra-processed. How should you decide which one to avoid? Verywell Health.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/ultra-processed-breakfast-8648502

Martínez Steele, E., Khandpur, N., da Costa Louzada, M. L., & Monteiro, C. A. (2020). Association between dietary contribution of ultra-processed foods and urinary concentrations of phthalates and bisphenol in a nationally representative sample of the US population aged 6 years and older. PLOS ONE, 15(7), e0236738.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236738

True Food. About us.
https://www.truefood.tech/about?store=all

Wikipedia contributors. Ultra-processed food. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraprocessed_food#:~:text=Since%20the%201990s%2C%20UPF%20sales,processed%20food%20affects%20body%20systems

Author: Bridget Swinney MS, RDN, LD