Processed foods

The modern food industry has gotten so good at processing food, we’ve had to create a new category to describe it: ultra-processed foods. Studies show that ultra-processed foods now make up the majority of calories in the American diet, and that’s not good news for our health.

Before we dive in, let’s give a shout out to the backyard chicken farmers and organic veggie gardeners out there - you are eating unprocessed foods. For the rest of us, virtually all of the foods we consume are processed in some way.

Minimally processed foods - An apple gets a sticker and food wax added to it before it gets to the store. Olives get pressed to make oil and that oil gets bottled before it gets to our pantry. If a food has a tiny change that doesn’t really impact the nutrition content, it’s minimally processed.

Processed foods - These guys are the foods manufactured by industry with the use of salt, sugar, oil or other substances. The original unprocessed food is still easily recognizable. This grouping includes canned foods and things like salted nuts and cured meats.

I personally am SO thankful for many of the processed offerings in our food supply. I don’t have to churn butter for my morning toast or soak beans overnight if I want to make chili. However, when we take it to the next level, things get a bit more complicated.

Ultra-processed foods - These are foods that have been changed in significant ways, they are mostly or entirely made from substances extracted from other foods, additives, colorings, preservatives, and other organic sources. When potatoes are peeled and sliced and combined with various oils, salt, flavoring, and other additives we get ultra-processed frozen french fries. When an apple gets turned into a sugary, jammy mess and is extruded into a McDonald’s apple pie, it’s an ultra-processed food.

It should be no surprise that these foods taste amazing because they are designed to be crave worthy! Humans love salt, sugar, and fat and once we get going with them, it’s hard to stop.

Ultra-processed foods are linked to an increased risk of obesity, hypertension, breast and colorectal cancers. Eating more than four servings of ultra-processed foods per day is associated with the risk of dying prematurely from all causes. Find out if you are consuming more than four ultra-processed foods using the NOVA Food Classification System.

References:

Take a look (or a listen!) to NPR’s 2023 report on ultra-processed food

Find out what the American Medical Association thinks about ultra-processed foods