U is for Ultra-Processed Foods

Simple, Practical, Science-Based Tips for a Long Healthy Life

The term “ultra-processed foods” was 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. 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.

Using these criteria, my breakfast of Cheerios, Fiber One, Fairlife ultra-filtered milk and blueberries contained three-fourths ultra-processed foods. Are these foods bad for our health or can you eat ultra-processed foods and still eat a diet rich in nutrients that supports good health?

The most cited study on ultra-processed foods found that when ultra- processed foods are eaten more calories are consumed with weight gain as the result. The study of 20 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 people speculate that the ultra-processed foods are tastier, are eaten more quickly, or alter the hunger and satiety hormones.

On the other side, researcher recently published paper showed that a carefully selected meal pattern with more than 80% of the calories coming from ultra-processed foods could be included in a healthy meal plan and still receive a high diet quality score and contain adequate amounts of most nutrients. This paper was a modeling study and was not studied for its effect on health outcomes, but it shows that UPF can contribute to a nutrient-rich meal plan.

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 or Beyond Meat 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 hectic schedules, busy students, or those on limited budgets who depend on convenience packaged foods, it is not easy to a eat a diet of all unprocessed foods.  

What Does It Mean For You?

• Not all foods categorized as ultra-processed are created equal. Focus on the nutrients, not the processing.
• Don’t shop only on the perimeter of the grocery store. There are so many healthful foods in the aisles…from canned beans, tomatoes, tuna fish to cereal and beads that are nutrient-rich, convenient, and affordable.
• Don’t fall for a claim of organic on a packaged food thinking that it must be unprocessed. Organic is an agricultural practice, not a health claim. An organic potato chip is still a potato chip.
• Any food containing concentrated protein from soy, pea, or wheat is classified by NOVA as ultra- processed, so soy milk and the scoop of protein powder added to a smoothie is classified as ultra-processed. Again, think about nutrients, not processing.
• 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.

This last bullet ties into our next topic, S is for Sarcopenia! For more information on optimal aging, subscribe to our blog and read more in Food & Fitness After 50.