What Are Ultra-Processed Foods — and Why Should Americans Care?

Walk down any aisle at an American grocery store and you're surrounded by them: frozen dinners, flavored yogurts, breakfast cereals, packaged snacks, soft drinks. These are ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and according to researchers, they now make up nearly 58% of the average American's caloric intake.

The term "ultra-processed" was coined by Brazilian nutrition researcher Carlos Monteiro as part of the NOVA food classification system. Unlike minimally processed foods (like washed salad or frozen vegetables) or processed foods (like canned beans or cheese), ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made primarily from substances extracted from foods — oils, starches, sugars — combined with additives like emulsifiers, flavor enhancers, and colorings.

How to Identify Ultra-Processed Foods

A good rule of thumb: if a product's ingredient list includes substances you wouldn't find in a home kitchen — such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, modified starches, or ingredients you can't pronounce — it's likely ultra-processed.

Common examples include:

• Soft drinks and energy drinks
• Packaged snack cakes and cookies
• Instant noodles and soups
• Chicken nuggets and hot dogs
• Many breakfast cereals and granola bars
• Flavored yogurts with added sugars

What Does the Research Say?

A landmark study published in The BMJ in 2019, following over 100,000 French adults, found that a 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption was associated with a significant increase in overall cancer risk (Fiolet et al., 2018).

More recently, a 2024 umbrella review published in The BMJ analyzing data from nearly 10 million participants found that higher UPF consumption was consistently associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, depression, and all-cause mortality (Lane et al., 2024).

In the United States specifically, a study from the National Institutes of Health found that when participants were given unlimited access to either ultra-processed or unprocessed meals, those eating ultra-processed food consumed about 500 more calories per day and gained weight, while those eating unprocessed food lost weight — even though both diets were matched for available calories, sugar, fat, and fiber.

Why Is This an American Problem?

The United States has one of the highest rates of ultra-processed food consumption in the world. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 40% of American adults are obese, and diet-related diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes are among the leading causes of death.

Several factors contribute to high UPF consumption in America:

• Food deserts: Millions of Americans live in areas with limited access to fresh food
• Cost: Ultra-processed foods are often cheaper per calorie than whole foods
• Time constraints: Long work hours make quick, packaged meals appealing
• Marketing: The food industry spends billions annually advertising processed products

Practical Steps to Reduce UPF Intake

You don't need to eliminate all processed foods overnight. Small, sustainable changes can make a difference:

• Read ingredient lists: If it has more than 5 ingredients or includes things you don't recognize, consider an alternative
• Cook more at home: Even simple meals like rice, beans, and vegetables are far less processed than most takeout or frozen dinners
• Swap gradually: Replace one ultra-processed item per week with a whole food option (e.g., flavored yogurt for plain yogurt with fresh fruit)
• Shop the perimeter: Fresh produce, meat, dairy, and bakery items tend to be located around the edges of grocery stores
• Prepare snacks ahead: Cut vegetables, portion out nuts, or make trail mix at home to avoid reaching for packaged alternatives