Move over processed foods there is a new dietary villain…. ultra-processed foods! This term has been around for a while, popularized by Brazilian researchers who designed a system to categorize foods by their degree of processing. This system, called NOVA (NOVA is not an acronym) groups foods according to the nature, extent, and purpose of the processing they undergo and divides foods into four categories. Here’s the classification with examples of foods in each category.
Group 1. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods. This includes vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, eggs, milk, animal protein. Minimally processed foods preserve natural foods for storage or food safety.
Group 2. Processed culinary ingredients. This group includes oils, butter, vinegars, sugar, and salt. They are not meant to be consumed by themselves and are normally used in combination with Group 1 foods to make freshly prepared dishes at home or in a restaurant.
Group 3. Processed foods. Examples are cheese, fresh breads, canned or frozen vegetables and fruits, canned fish, smoked or cured meats, bacon, salted nuts, beer, and wine (Side note, beer and wine are processed foods, but I don’t hear too many people vilify them.) Processed foods usually have two or three ingredients which are edible by themselves or used in combination with group 1 and 2 foods. Processing is used mainly for preservation.
Group 4. Ultra-processed foods. This groups includes soft drinks, sweet or savory packaged snacks, pre-pared frozen or packaged dishes, cereals, and plant-based meat and dairy substitutes. Many of the ingredients in ultra-processed foods are derived from food additives and include nutrients extracted from foods such as whey, casein, soy, lactose, or gluten and include colors, dyes, and additives to improve the taste and sensory qualities of the item. Generally ultra-processed foods are high in sugar, salt, and fat and the ingredients used to make these foods are not found in a home kitchen. By some estimates, half of our calories come from ultra-processed foods.
Researchers found that when ultra- processed foods are provided to people, more calories are consumed with weight gain the result. Twenty adults (who lived in a controlled research unit) were given a diet high in ultra-processed foods or unprocessed foods. Participants in the study were given meals of equal calories of either ultra-processed or unprocessed foods. They could eat as much as they wanted at mealtime. The group eating the ultra-processed foods ate about 500 calories more than when they were given the unprocessed food diet. During the ultra-processed diet phase, average weight gain was a couple of pounds, whereas participants lost a couple of pounds when eating the unprocessed foods. Why this is so remains unclear, but it could be that the ultra-processed foods are tastier, are eaten more quickly, or alter the hunger and satiety hormones.
Ultra-processed foods go hand in hand with the “clean” eating movement. I’ve never liked that term because it implies if you are not eating “clean” you are eating dirty. The only dirty foods are those that are unwashed or have spoiled. But I digress. The part that makes all this confusing to consumers is the adoption of the many plant-based options on the market today. I dare say all of them…. from Impossible Burgers to oat milk to whey and soy protein powders are classified as ultra-processed yet most people would classify them as healthy options.
So, how do we make sense of it? Do we have to give up processed and ultra-processed foods and make all meals from scratch? For some, that might be an option, but for many with limited access to fresh foods, working parents with crazy schedules, busy students, or those on limited budgets who depend on grocery store foods or take-out for their meals it is not easy to a diet of all unprocessed foods.
Some the popular advice given on social media includes these tips, but are they helpful?
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. A good soundbite, but there are so many healthful foods in the aisles…from canned beans, tomatoes, and tuna to frozen fruit and vegetables. And, cereal, I can’t forget cereal. While often lumped in the ultra-processed food group, cereal is an affordable breakfast for many Americans, and it provides nutrients we need. I for one, eat cereal (Cheerios and Fiber One are my go-to breakfast cereals) with fruit and milk almost every day. It is the best way to get my daily intake of fiber!
Buy only organic foods. Nope, many organic foods are ultra-processed. A recent study from Europe found that half of the organic packaged foods in specialty organic stores were ultra-processed. Many people think that if a snack food is organic it is healthier. An organic cookie is still a cookie.
Shop at a Farmer’s Markets and prepare all your meals from scratch. Well, that is a nice idea and conjurers up a bygone era, but it is not a reality for most Americans. As the researcher who conducted the study on weight gain and ultra-processed foods summed up, “policies that discourage consumption of ultra-processed foods should be sensitive to the time, skill, expense, and effort required to prepare meals from minimally processed foods – resources that are often in short supply for those who are not members of the upper socioeconomic classes.”
Another issue I have with vilifying ultra-processed foods is lumping soy milk and soy protein powders as unhealthy options. For those who have milk allergies or choose a vegetarian diet, soy milk is the best nutrient-rich option. While the plant-milk aisle continues to gain dairy case space, the protein content and quality of soy milk is superior to the others (almond, cashew, oat, flax, and all the others!)
For older adults who are trying to get needed protein (older adults should aim for about 25 grams of protein per meal), adding a scoop of protein powder in a smoothie (be it whey or soy) is an efficient way to get protein without excess calories. For those whose appetites are low, protein powder provides nutrition in a small portion size.
While we could all find ways to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods, systems that classify foods based on processing should consider the nutritional value of the food, not simply the processing.
Dr. Chris Rosenbloom is a registered dietitian and nutrition professor emerita at Georgia State University. Her book, Food & Fitness After 50, with co-author, Dr. Bob Murray, provides a roadmap to eat well, move well, and be well for those in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond. Click here to follow her blog.
As usual very informative 👌
Thank you, Bonne. I appreciate your support!