The Lowdown on Ultra-Processed Foods
In today’s world, many Americans are eating more ultra-processed and processed foods and not eating real foods that contain adequate amounts of dietary fiber and other nutrients. 75% of Americans are overweight with 45% of children being labeled as overweight. 20% of kids are labeled as obese with about 1/3 of kids having diabetes or pre-diabetes around age 12.
According to research, 93.2% of Americans are metabolically unhealthy, which means they have either their high blood sugar, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or overweight or have had a heart attack or stroke. Six in 10 Americans have a chronic disease, a large part, this is due the explosion of eating ultra processed food over the last 20, 30 years that drives poor metabolic health. It’s also affecting our mental health crisis, increasing a lot of our depression, anxiety, polarization, violence, aggression, all because of the food we’re eating and the cost is staggering.
In fact, colorectal cancer is on the rise in the 30 – 50 age group. Sedentary lifestyle, overweight and obesity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, low-fiber, high-fat diets & diets high in processed meats, and other environmental factors have all been associated with the colorectal cancer.
The economic cost of these nutrition-related chronic diseases has been estimated at $16 trillion from 2011 to 2020. In fact, recent research has been estimated that poor nutrition actually costs the U.S. Economy $1.1 Trillion per year.
93% of Medicare costs are due to chronic disease and 85% of Medicaid costs are due to chronic diseases.
You are What You Eat
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize most of these chronic symptoms are due to diet and a sedentary lifestyle.
Sadly, having access and purchasing unprocessed foods and whole foods isn’t that simple. In today’s world, food costs have escalated to the point that many people are unable to afford fresh foods. Whether it comes down to affordability, accessibility and/or availability in some cases, you can check food labels to determine which prepared foods have a short list of acceptable ingredients. Small steps can lead to a better health outcome nutritionally and of course becoming more active every day doesn’t cost anything.
According to many research studies, more than half of the calories adults eat at home now come from ultra-processed foods, which contain high levels of sugar, salt, fat and other additives, and have been linked to heart disease, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and many other health issues Americans are dealing with. See The Status of American’s Health in 2024 below.
Table 1. The Status of American’s Health in 2024*
- 74% of American adults are dealing with being overweight or obesity.
- Close to 40% of children are overweight or suffer from obesity.
- 52% of American Adults have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
- 30% of teens have prediabetes (this was 11% in 2002).
- 1 in 36 children are on the autism spectrum (up from 1 in 150 in the year 2000). The number is 1 in 22 in California.
- 34% of young adults have a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder.
- Incidence of early-onset cancer have increased by 79% in recent years.
- Nearly one in two Americans is predicted to get cancer in their lifetimes (6% chance). This is the first year America is estimated to have over 2 million new cases of cancer.
- Autoimmune diseases are rising rapidly, with some studies showing a 3-12% rise annually.
- 18% of teens have fatty liver disease.
- 20-25% of women are on anti-depressant medication.
- Early onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease have tripled since 2013.
- American girls are starting puberty earlier than they were in prior centuries and are starting earlier than any other continent in the world.
- Infertility is rising rapidly and unsustainably, with sperm counts declining 1% per year and infertility rates rising 1% per year.
- The US has the highest infant and maternal mortality rate of all high income countries, despite spending the most.
- Life expectancy is seeing a sustained decline in the United States driven by Covid-19, chronic liver disease, heart disease and suicide.
- 77% of young Americans are not able to qualify for the military service due to health problems or drug use.
*List compiled by Casey Means, MD.
Some examples of ultra-processed foods are:
- Chicken nuggets.
- Frozen meals.
- Packaged soups.
- Potato chips.
- Soft drinks.
- Processed reconstituted meat products, like ham and hot dogs, chicken sausage, and fish sticks
- Frozen French fries
- Candy
- Store-bought cookies
- Refined grain pretzels
- Commercial bread
- Sweetened breakfast cereals
Minimally processed foods are those with added vitamins or minerals, maybe a little bit of sugar. Examples include:
- Frozen or canned fruits/vegetables.
- Dried and canned beans and lentils.
- Whole grains.
- Canned tuna.
- Roasted nuts.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/ultra-processed-foods
Ultra processed options tend to contain:
- A long list of ingredients not found in the average kitchen and that the average consumer won’t recognize, such as colorings, preservatives and other additives
- Added sugar, salt, oils, fats, stabilizers and preservatives.
- Additives that imitate the flavor, color or texture of less processed foods.
- Ingredients not found in nature, such as high fructose corn syrup.
- Ingredients that have been stripped of fiber.
- Ingredients that contain large quantities of calories, fat, sugar or salt
- Ultra-processed foods low in cost, convenient, easy to prepare and difficult to stop eating
Research has linked high consumption of ultra processed foods with the following health problems:
- Heart disease and heart attacks.
- Stroke.
- High blood pressure.
- Depression.
- Overweight and obesity.
- Diabetes.
- Reduced HDL cholesterol.
- Cancer.
https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/nutrition-fitness/key-ingredients-to-avoid-in-ultra-processed-foods/
Table 2. Healthy Foods Swaps for Processed Foods
Still, you can likely make small changes to tweak the amount of ultra-processed foods in your diet. Here’s a chart to help you make some nutritious swaps.
Home Version | Processed | Ultra-processed |
Oatmeal made with rolled oats & sweetened with honey | Plain bran cereal | Sweetened breakfast cereals |
Water with a splash of fruit slices or fruit juice | Artificially flavored sparkling or carbonated water | Soda |
Homemade Pita Chips, Potato Chips | Plain tortilla chips | Flavored potato chips |
Homemade whole wheat bread | Whole wheat bread made with short list of ingredients | White bread |
Roast chicken | Deli rotisserie chicken | Fried Chicken |
Dark chocolate squares | Simple candy bars with short list of ingredients | Flavored candy bar with long list of ingredients |
Drip coffee | Store-bought cold brew | Frozen, blended coffee drinks |
Fresh whole potatoes | Frozen potatoes | Mashed potato flakes |
Fresh-squeezed orange juice | Sweetened fruit juice | Energy drink |
Homemade granola | Granola bars with short list of ingredients | Flavored granola bars with added sugar and long list of ingredients |
Corn | Canned Corn | Corn Chips |
Apple | Apple juice | Apple pie |
Water with a splash of fruit juice or fruit slices | Artificially flavored sparkling water | Soda |
Fresh-squeeze orange juice | Sweetened fruit juice | Energy drink |
Homemade granola | Granola bars with minimal additives | Flavored granola bars with added sugar and preservatives |
Apple and cheese slices | Naturally flavored crackers | Artificially flavored crackers |
https://www.the-sun.com/health/9509808/ultra-processed-foods-eating-more-baked-beans-to-pasta/
https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/ultra-processed-foods-home/2024/12/12/id/1191377/
Table 3. My list of Ultra-Process Foods I routinely use.
- Canned beans
- Canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste
- Salsa
- Spaghetti sauce
- Canned fish: tuna and salmon
- Peanut butter
- Shelled nuts: walnuts, almonds, pecans.
- Guacamole
- Trail mix
- Whole wheat bread
Ultra-processed foods: low in dietary fiber, low in nutrients but high in sugar.
Consumers need to know how many grams of fiber and how much sugar they can eat according to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines to maintain a good health regime. Taken with a grain of salt since the U.S. Dietary Guidelines are under attack, I am still adding this information because as a registered dietitian I still believe getting enough dietary fiber each day and cutting sugar intake to a minimum is still important for your overall health. Table 4. How Many Grams of Dietary Fiber do You Need Each Day? Table 5. How Many Grams of Dietary Fiber do Your Children Need Each Day? Then a discussion on How Much Sugar in Grams Should You Be Restricted to Each Day for Good Health is warranted.
Health Benefits of Dietary Fiber
- Healthy Weight Loss
- Weight Management
- Lower Diabetes Type 2 Risk
- Lower Odds of Heart Disease
- Increased Beneficial Gut Bacteria
- Reduced Risk of Certain Cancers like Colorectal Cancer & Breast Cancer
- Longer Life
- More Regular Bowel Movements
- All-Natural Detox
- Strong Bones
Table 4. How Many Grams of Dietary Fiber do You Need Each Day?*
Age Men Women
19-30 34 grams 28 grams
31 – 49 31 grams 25 grams
Over 50 24 grams 22 grams
Table 5. How Many Grams of Dietary Fiber do Your Children Need Each Day?*
Age Grams of Fiber
1 to 3 years 19 grams
4 to 8 years 25 grams
Boys 9-13 years 31 grams
Girls 9 – 13 years 26 grams
Boys 14 – 19 years 38 grams
Girls 14 – 19 years 26 grams
*Use the food label to determine how many grams of dietary fiber is in processed foods.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/figuring-dietary-fiber-child-need
If you normally don’t eat much dietary fiber but have decided to increase your daily intake of dietary fiber, start slow. Eating too much fiber to quickly can cause bloating, cramping and gas until your gut get use to more dietary fiber. Drinking more fluids throughout the day will also help dietary fiber pass through the gut more effectively. Check out this reference which contains the dietary fiber of many foods you eat daily. https://daybydayliving.net/?p=3288.
You can also find the dietary fiber by looking at the Nutrition Facts label.
How Much Sugar Grams Should You Be Restricted to Each Day for Good Health
According to the USDA, on average, an American adult eats 17 teaspoons (68 grams) of added sugar per day. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, recommends limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10% per day.
The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests a stricter added-sugar limit of no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams of sugar) for most adult women and no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most men.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under 2 years of age don’t consume any added sugar at all. AAP recommends kids 2 and older should have no more than 25 grams (or 6 teaspoons) of added sugar daily.
Use the food label to determine how many grams of sugar is in the processed foods you eat.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-to-do-when-your-child-eats-too-much-sugar
The Bottom Line
Eat more of the best and less of the rest. Try to make an effort to eat more fresh foods and less processed food. Reading labels will help you determine which processed and ultra-processed foods are healthier to eat. Eat foods that are higher in dietary fibers and lower in sugar.
By Barbara Day, M.S., R.D. is a registered dietitian with a Master’s Degree in clinical nutrition. She is the Chief Blog Organizer for www.DayByDayLiving.net
Barbara worked as a research nutritionist with the military’s tri-service medical school & worked as a performance nutrition consultant to Navy SEALS’ BUD/S Training Program and West Coast active Navy SEAL Teams. Barbara is the former nutrition performance consultant to the University of Louisville Athletic Department. She is the author of Fast Facts on Fast Food For Fast People and High Energy Eating Sports Nutrition Workbook for Active People used by the University of Louisville, University of Tennessee Lady Vols and the Tennessee football program, the LSU basketball program, the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns and by the United States Navy SEALs.
The former publisher of Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine, Kentuckiana Healthy Woman magazine and radio show host of Health News You Can Use, Barbara has over 60 years of experience in promoting healthy lifestyles to consumers. Barbara is a former runner who walks, a spinner, a hiker, a pickleball player, a mother and grandmother to 13 grandchildren.
Barbara also serves on the Leadership Team for Moms for America as the Grammy Grizzlies National Group Leader. (www.momsforamerica.us).
