Are ultra-processed foods taking over your diet?
We’re eating more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) than ever, and too much has been linked to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. An analysis of more than a million people published last year even found that every 10 percent increase in UPFs in the diet was associated with about a 10 percent higher risk of early death. In some countries, UPFs make up more than half of daily calories—from packaged snacks and sweets to sugary drinks and ready-to-eat food.
Think about it: more than half. And even here in the Philippines, UPFs are becoming a bigger part of everyday eating.
For years, we’ve focused on sugar, salt, fat, and calories. But we should also consider how much of what we eat is ultra-processed. Sweets and convenience foods will always be part of life. But what’s concerning is when they take so much space that there’s less room for the food our bodies need.
What makes food ultra-processed?
Not all processed food is unhealthy. Even cooking, freezing, grinding, or fermenting is processing. Frozen fruits and vegetables, plain yogurt, oats, and canned beans are processed, too.
So why “ultra?” Because it goes beyond that. The NOVA food classification system groups food by how much and why they are processed. Group 4 includes ultra-processed foods. These are industrial formulations often made with refined ingredients and substances we don’t usually use at home.
You’ll find them everywhere—from supermarket shelves to ready-made meals and fast food.
1. We may get less of what our bodies need
Refining can remove some fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (plant compounds that help protect our bodies from disease). When UPFs regularly replace vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and good sources of protein, we may get plenty of calories while falling short on nutrients our bodies need.
Over time, that can contribute to nutritional deficiencies.
2. Food can become easier to eat and harder to stop eating
Grinding, refining, and reconstructing can change food’s original structure. Many UPFs become softer, require less chewing, and can be eaten faster, making it easier to eat more before we realize we’ve had enough.
In a US National Institutes of Health study, 20 adults were offered similar calories and nutrients from ultra-processed and unprocessed diets but could eat as much as they wanted. On the UPF diet, they ate about 500 more calories a day and gained around 0.9 kg, or two pounds, in two weeks. On the unprocessed diet, they lost about the same amount.
Some UPFs may be hyperpalatable, making us want to keep eating even when we’ve had enough. Eating speed, appetite, cravings, and the brain’s reward system may all play a role.
3. What gets added matters, too
UPFs can contain added sugar, fat, salt, flavors, sweeteners, emulsifiers, and stabilizers to make them taste better, look better, and last longer. Not every additive is bad for us, but some have raised health concerns and are still being studied for their effects on our gut.
Aside from cardiometabolic diseases, higher UPF intake has been associated with some cancers and depression as well as disordered eating behaviors.
The excuses we make for UPFs
When something tastes good and is hard to resist, it’s easy to find reasons to keep eating it.
“It’s low-calorie, so it must be okay.”
Choosing low-calorie foods like some commercial crackers and drinks doesn’t necessarily mean you’re eating well. Calories don’t tell the whole story. You can be lean and still have metabolic or cardiovascular health issues that don’t show on the scale.
“It says healthy, so it must be healthy.”
Sugar-free, high-protein, high-fiber, low-fat, organic, vegan, or gluten-free claims can make a product seem healthier than it really is. I’ve even heard, “It’s high-protein so that I can have another.”
Check the nutrition information and ingredients. A long list, especially with refined ingredients, flavors, sweeteners, and emulsifiers, can be a clue that a food is ultra-processed.
“I am fit and active so that I can get away with it.”
When I was younger, I trained to run races and marathons and regularly ate packaged snacks and breads with processed cheese and spreads. I didn’t worry too much because I thought I could exercise it all away.
I stayed fit, but my genetically elevated LDL (bad cholesterol) never went down as much as I wanted. That’s when I learned that being fit doesn’t make up for what we eat.
Make real food the easy choice
Start with what you bring home. Buy more fresh and minimally processed food and fewer packaged UPFs. Keep real foods easy to grab and UPFs harder to reach. Look online for quick recipe ideas using what you already have at home. Here’s what I’ve been doing lately:
• Instead of filling up on snacks later, add more fiber and color to your meals. I make at least 200 grams of cooked vegetables a staple at each lunch and dinner, usually steamed with herbs and spices. That fills me up, leaving less room for UPFs.
• Instead of processed meats like bacon, sausage, ham, or longganisa, keep chicken, fish, lean meat, tofu, or eggs ready. Use herbs and spices for flavor instead of processed sauces.
• Instead of packaged breads, crackers, or biscuits, try a simple homemade bread, sweet potato, or corn for your carbs. Pair it with real protein foods like eggs, tuna, or chicken mixed with avocado or plain Greek yogurt.
• Instead of “healthy” bars or sugary treats, try making your own. I loved a sugar-free biscuit but wasn’t familiar with some of the ingredients, so last weekend I made my own with oats, buckwheat, chia, flaxseeds, and banana. It took 10 minutes, and now I know exactly what’s in my biscuit.
• Instead of always munching on chips with packaged dips, keep a small portion of nuts ready or air-fry sweet potato, saba, or mushrooms. Pair them with plain Greek yogurt, egg, avocado, hummus, or beans. I just discovered boiled monggo mixed with avocado as a spread.
Is there room for UPFs?
Eat real or minimally processed foods most of the time, and enjoy some UPFs when you want them. You’re going to travel, celebrate, eat out, or crave your favorite chips or cookie. Have it, enjoy it, and move on.
What matters is how much and how often. Are UPFs just a small part of what you eat, or are they taking over the space meant for real foods?
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