Understanding Ultra-Processed Foods
Simply put, UPFs are typically made with five or more ingredients, many of which you wouldn’t find in a home kitchen. Think of the difference between a baked potato and potato chips, or between rolled oats and a toaster pastry. Common examples include sodas, packaged snack cakes, instant noodles, chicken nuggets, most breakfast cereals, flavored yogurts with long ingredient lists, reconstituted meat products, and many frozen dinners.
Research has linked high consumption of ultra-processed foods to increased risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other health conditions. These foods tend to be high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and sodium while being low in fiber and essential nutrients. They’re also engineered to be extra tasty, which can make it easy to eat too much.
In fact, a recent study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health revealed that UPFs now account for almost half the calories consumed at home.
“We need strategies to help people choose less processed foods and avoid unhealthy ultra-processed foods for foods purchased for both at-home and away-from-home consumption,” said study author Julia Wolfson, PhD.
Does that mean we need to abandon our favorite granola bars and throw out all our jarred spaghetti sauce? Not necessarily. Shifting toward more whole foods doesn’t require perfection or a complete kitchen overhaul. Here are some realistic strategies:
Start with one meal. Rather than overhauling everything at once, focus on making breakfast or lunch more whole foods based. Swap sugary cereal for oatmeal with fruit or replace a frozen meal with a simple grain bowl made from leftovers.
Read ingredient lists, not just nutrition labels. A good rule of thumb is to read the ingredient list. Compare a few brands and you’ll often find options with simpler ingredients.
Cook more often, even simple meals. You don’t need to become a gourmet chef. Roasted vegetables, scrambled eggs, a simple pasta with olive oil and garlic, or a stir-fry with whatever vegetables you have on hand all count. The act of cooking from basic ingredients is itself a move toward whole foods.
Keep convenient whole foods on hand. Stock frozen vegetables and fruits, canned beans, nuts, eggs, plain yogurt, and pre-washed greens. These give you shortcuts without the extra processing.
Embrace “mostly whole.” A tomato sauce with a short ingredient list, whole grain bread from a bakery, or plain yogurt you flavor yourself with honey and fruit are all better choices than their ultra-processed counterparts, even if they’re not completely unprocessed.
Plan for realistic snacks. Try keeping easier whole-food options visible: Apple slices with peanut butter, carrots and hummus, a handful of nuts, cheese and whole grain crackers, or fresh fruit.
Make strategic swaps. You don’t have to give up everything you love. Just look for less processed versions. Choose plain popcorn over flavored chips, whole fruit over fruit snacks, or sparkling water with a splash of juice instead of soda.
Remember, our health is shaped by patterns over time, not individual meals. Being thoughtful about choosing more whole foods most of the time—while still enjoying other foods (in moderation) when you want them—is a perfectly reasonable approach to eating well.