II. Background
- Processed Foods are on a continuum from whole foods to Ultra-Processed Foods
- Each recommended food group (fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts) have a a variety of forms
- Whole foods and minimally Processed Foods are preferred
- Identify healthy alternatives to Ultra-Processed Foods
III. Types: Whole Foods (Preferred)
- Whole foods are still in their natural form (priority for healthy eating)
- Examples
- Raw leafy vegetables (e.g. salad greens, spinach)
- Cooked, chopped or raw vegetables (e.g. fresh broccoli, carrots)
- Fresh fruit (e.g. apple, banana, orange)
- Wild game
IV. Types: Minimally Processed Foods (Preferred)
- Modified for preservation, preparation or taste
- Foods that have undergone minimal physical processing (e.g. cutting, freezing, peeling, drying)
- Examples
- Frozen spinach
- Plain dry-roasted nuts, ground peanuts (nut butter without other ingredients)
- Plain yogurt (from fermented milk)
- Brown rice, whole quinoa, steel-cut oats, whole-wheat pasta, Farro
- Dried lentils, frozen peas, edemame, dried beans
- Fresh or frozen poultry, beef, pork, fish or eggs without flavorings, colorings or preservatives
- Pasteurized milk
- Fresh cheese (e.g, cottage cheese, ricotta, mozzarella)
V. Types: Processed Foods
- Foods with added (e.g. salt, sugar, oil) or subtracted components
- Consume in moderation
- Examples
- Tofu (solids extracted from soaked soybeans)
- Canned peaches (with added syrup)
- Jarred tomatoes (with added salt and oil)
- Canned beans with salt
- Aged Cheese (prepared from salt, milk, culture and rennet)
- Hummus with Garlic and lemon juice
- Whole wheat bread or whole grain crackers
- Peanut butter with salt
- Salted nuts
- Nut butters with added salt and oil
- Canned tuna in oil
- Smoked salmon
- Canned chicken with salt
- Pickled vegetables in vinegar and salt
VI. Types: Processed Culinary Ingredients
- Foods that have components removed through pressing, refining or milling
- Use sparingly in meal preparation and cooking
- Prefer healthier alternatives (e.g. steel-cut oats or whole oats)
- Examples
- White rice, white pasta, white flour
- Grain porridge (e.g. Cream of Wheat)
- Instant oats
- Refined sugars from grains
- Fruit juice concentrates
- Soybean oil
- Peanut oil
- Butter, cream
- Lard
- Meat-based cooking stock
VII. Types: Ultra-Processed Foods
- Highly engineered, industrial formulations of food extracts
- Foods with 5 or more chemically modified components
- Limit consumption, and substitute with less Processed Foods
- Highly processed Ingredients
- Hydrogenated fats (vegetable shortening, stick margarine, trans-fats)
- Protein isolates (e.g. isolates from whey, soy, pea, beef or egg white Protein)
- Modified starches (e.g. Acetylated, oxidized, pre-gelatinized or Hydroxypropyl Starch; distarch phosphate)
- Foods with additives (e.g. emulsifiers, anti-caking agents)
- Highly Processed Food Examples
- Fruit candies with synthetic colorings and preservatives
- Fruit drinks with artificial flavoring and coloring
- Snack chips with refined grains (and emulsifiers, sweeteners, flavor enhancers)
- Breakfast cereals with sugar and artificial flavors and colors
- Instant noodles with flavor packets
- Canned baked beans with added sugar and flavorings
- Candy-coated nuts or nut bars with additives
- Instant mashed potatoes (with preservatives and emulsifiers)
- Canned corn (with added sugars, modified starches and artificial flavorings
- Industrial cheese spreads
- Dairy-like creamers
- Hot dogs
- Chicken nuggets
- Deli meats
- Dried meat flavored snacks (e.g. beef sticks)
- Frozen breaded fish sticks
VIII. Adverse Effects: Ultra-Processed Foods
- Highly Processed Foods are calorie dense, displacing healthier foods and satiety
- Results in greater weight gain and worse overall nutritional intake
- Hall (2019) Cell Metab 30(1): 67-77 [PubMed]
- Dicken (2025) Nat Med 31(10): 3297-308 [PubMed]
- Highly Processed Food-based diets increase the risk for diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease
IX. Resources
- Eight simple ways to reduce Ultra-Processed Foods in your diet (Harvard)
- Most of the Foods We Eat Are Ultra-Processed. Are They All Unhealthy? (Johns Hopkins)