From chicken nuggets to sugary cereals, the average American diet is full of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Sure, they're convenient and affordable, but they're not ideal for our bodies. Here's why.
Manufacturers create UPFs through a series of industrial steps. These foods are formulated from substances extracted from whole foods, such as starches, oils, sugars, and protein isolates, and often contain additives like colors, flavors, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives.
Why They're a Concern
UPFs are designed to be hyperpalatable, meaning they're incredibly appealing to our taste buds and activate the reward center in our brains, making them harder to stop eating. A few examples include chicken nuggets, which combine fat and salt; chips, which combine salt and carbohydrates; and snack cakes, which combine fat and sugar.
Because they're hard to put down and calorie-dense, research has linked UPFs to weight gain and obesity as well as other medical problems. Dr. Sara Lim with Internal Medicine Associates says, "Obesity can lead to a host of other complications, including diabetes and heart disease, and even some cancers. And because they're typically low in fiber and contain additives, they can also disrupt our gut's microbiome. There is increasing evidence of an association between diets rich in UPFs and gut disease, including inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer and irritable bowel syndrome."
How Do You Know If a Food is Ultra-processed?
The most widely used food classification is the NOVA system, developed by researchers in Brazil, which groups foods into:
|
Category |
Definition |
Examples |
|
Unprocessed / Minimally Processed: |
Natural foods that may be cleaned, cut, frozen, or cooked, but not fundamentally changed |
Fresh fruits & veggies, plain meat, milk, eggs, plain rice, oats, frozen peas |
|
Processed Foods |
Foods altered for preservation, safety, or flavor, but still mostly recognizable as the original food. Usually, they contain 2–5 ingredients and may have added salt, sugar, or oil |
Canned beans, cheese, canned tuna, salted nuts, fresh bread (few ingredients), yogurt (plain) |
|
Ultra-processed Foods |
Industrial formulations made mostly from extracted substances (starches, oils, proteins) and additives. Engineered for taste and convenience, they often have a long list of ingredients and contain added colors, flavors, emulsifiers, and preservatives |
Soft drinks, chips, candy, flavored yogurt, instant noodles, reconstituted meats like hot dogs and chicken nuggets, frozen pizza, packaged cookies, plant-based meat substitutes |
While it may be hard to avoid UPFs entirely, Dr. Lim recommends the majority of your diet come from whole, minimally processed, or processed foods. She says, "One good rule of thumb is to look at the list of ingredients. If it contains a lot of things you don't have at home, you may want to avoid it."
Sarah L. Lim, MD, Internal Medicine Associates
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