Not all processed food is bad. Frozen vegetables, canned beans, and cheese are all processed—and perfectly healthy. The concern is with ultra-processed foods: industrial formulations made mostly from substances extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories.
What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?
Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations typically with five or more ingredients. They often contain substances not commonly used in home cooking: high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, protein isolates, and additives designed to enhance flavor, texture, or shelf life.
The simple test: Look at the ingredient list. If it contains things you wouldn’t find in a home kitchen—or can’t pronounce—it’s likely ultra-processed.
Common Ultra-Processed Foods
Packaged Snacks
Chips, crackers, cookies, candy bars
Sugary Drinks
Soda, energy drinks, sweetened teas and coffees
Fast Food
Burgers, chicken nuggets, fries from chain restaurants
Instant Products
Instant noodles, powdered soups, flavored oatmeal packets
Processed Meats
Hot dogs, deli meats with nitrates, bacon with added sugars
Frozen Meals
Most TV dinners, frozen pizzas, frozen breakfast sandwiches
Breakfast Cereals
Most sweetened cereals, even those marketed as “healthy”
Commercial Breads
Soft white bread, hamburger buns, many “whole wheat” breads
Why They’re Problematic
They Drive Overeating
Ultra-processed foods are engineered to be hyper-palatable—hitting the perfect combination of salt, sugar, and fat that makes it hard to stop eating. A landmark NIH study found that people eating ultra-processed diets consumed about 500 more calories per day compared to when they ate whole foods, even when the meals were matched for calories, sugar, fat, and fiber.
They Lack Nutrients
Processing strips away fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Even when nutrients are added back (like “fortified” cereals), they don’t provide the same benefits as nutrients naturally present in whole foods.
They Contain Concerning Additives
Artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and emulsifiers are common in ultra-processed foods. While each additive is individually approved, the effects of consuming dozens of them daily over years isn’t well studied.
What the Research Shows
An umbrella review published in the BMJ in February 2024 analyzed 45 meta-analyses involving nearly 10 million participants. The findings showed consistent associations between higher ultra-processed food consumption and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, and premature death.
Source: Lane et al., BMJ, February 2024
A Note on Processed Meats
The World Health Organization has classified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there’s sufficient evidence that it causes cancer (specifically colorectal cancer). This doesn’t mean bacon is as dangerous as smoking—it means the evidence is equally strong, not that the risk level is equal.
Practical approach: Look for processed meats without nitrates/nitrites and added sugars. Enjoy bacon and sausage as occasional treats rather than daily staples. Choose uncured options when available.
The 80/20 Approach
This isn’t about perfection. When most of your diet consists of whole, minimally processed foods, occasional processed foods have minimal impact on overall health. The goal is making whole foods your default, not eliminating every processed item from your life.
Remember: A homemade cookie with butter, flour, sugar, and eggs is processed—but it’s not ultra-processed. There’s a meaningful difference between cooking at home with real ingredients and eating industrial food products.