What Are Ultra-Processed Foods, and How Much Is Safe To Eat? A Doctor Reveals the Truth
Plus a free app that helps you spot high-risk foods already in your kitchen
Almost every day, we hear a different expert urge us to avoid ultra-processed foods (UPFs). And it totally makes sense, since studies show the more UPFs we eat, the higher our risk of everything from obesity and type 2 diabetes to depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, heart disease, stroke and even cancer. But here’s what confuses us: Are processed foods like rolled oats and string cheese okay? What are ultra-processed foods—and do we really have to give them all up (looking at you, Doritos and Coke Zero) to protect our health?
To find out, we turned to King’s College London professor Tim Spector, MD, an internationally recognized expert on the health impacts of processed and ultra-processed foods. His answers are far gentler and more real-world friendly than we expected. Plus he turned us on to a free app that makes it fun to assess the processed options already in our cupboards.
What are ultra-processed foods vs. minimally-processed foods
“Most of the foods we eat are processed in some way,” says Dr. Spector. And forms of processing like “freezing, fermenting or pasteurizing can make foods safer, longer-lasting and occasionally even more nutritious.”
Woman's World Answers
He gives plain Greek yogurt, canned beans, frozen vegetables and the spicy condiment kimchi as examples of minimally-processed foods that are “nutritious and beneficial.” Rolled oats and string cheese also fall into this category.
There’s also a spectrum of “processed” foods. This can include things like whole-grain bread, peanut butter and jam. Yet these can sometimes be ultra-processed foods. A label containing at least three ingredients you’d never use in home-cooking is one tip off a food is ultra-processed. But for ultimate confirmation, ask yourself: Is this something I can actually eat in moderation?
Ultra-processed foods can be addictive
Ultra-processed foods are engineered by food scientists to override your ability to stop eating, Dr. Spector says. UPFs are intentionally stripped of fiber and other nutrients that satisfy appetite, and then they’re loaded with “unnaturally high levels” of industrial fats, sweeteners, salt and other added ingredients that drive overeating. “That’s when it can become a problem,” Dr. Spector says.
Main examples of ultra-processed foods are:
- Sugary drinks
- Packaged snacks, such as potato chips
- Packaged breakfast cereal and other breakfast foods
- Processed meat, such as hot dogs, sausage and deli meat
- Frozen convenience foods and instant soups
- Fast food
- Packaged desserts, sweets and ice cream
These types of food have led to widespread nutrient deficiencies and health problems. There’s even evidence that shows they’re especially addictive for women over age 50.
The good news: None of this means we have to give up ultra-processed foods entirely. Once your eyes are open, Dr. Spector says there are little hacks you can use to balance out UPFs you eat and continue to enjoy your favorites while setting yourself up for a long, healthy life.
3 ways to enjoy ultra-processed foods and stay healthy
Dr. Spector’s no-stress advice:
Start with the 80-20 rule
“As a simple guideline, aim for at least 80 percent of your diet to come from whole, unprocessed or minimally-processed foods. Think fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and fermented foods,” says Dr. Spector. “It’s not about perfection, but about gradually shifting the balance.”
Aim to eat 30 different plants a week
Each of us has a microbiome in our guts made up of trillions of microbes that help our bodies function. UPFs “contain a cocktail of additives which may interact with the gut microbiome and negatively impact our health,” says Dr. Spector, whose research has been published in the journal Nature Medicine.
On the flip side, large studies like UC-San Diego’s Gut Project show that the greater variety of plant foods we eat, especially if it’s more than 30 different plants a week, the more robust our microbiome and the healthier we tend to be. (There’s even evidence that eating a great variety of plants can cut an average American woman’s body fat from 38 percent to just 21 percent—with no diet required!) Easy tricks like grabbing mixed berries or mixed greens help get your numbers up with ease.
Adds Dr. Spector: “Eat a variety of whole plants and your gut microbes will be better equipped to deal with the occasional high-risk processed food,” he says.
Use a free app to rate foods in your kitchen
We’re a little obsessed with a tool Dr. Spector helped create, and it’s actually free. Download the Zoe app and then just use your phone’s camera to “scan a product’s barcode and instantly see how that food can impact your health,” he explains. All packaged foods are categorized from “no risk” to “high risk.” We scanned Great Value Whole Natural Almonds (no risk), Aldi 16 Bean Soup Mix (low risk), Kind bars (low risk) and Millville Protein Pancake Mix (high risk). “It helps you make informed decisions without needing a degree in food science,” says Dr. Spector.
The bottom line here is not to get stressed about processed food, but simply to pay attention and make the best choices for your body. And, hey, sometimes that might mean a drive-thru run. “Be kind to yourself,” says Dr. Spector. “When you have the choice, opt for a whole food over a processed one, and when you’re on the go and only have processed options to choose from, pick the option with the lowest risk.”
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
