When we started brainstorming the topic for our annual challenge, we reached a consensus pretty quickly that it should be about ultraprocessed foods.
In the last five years, there has been an explosion of scientific research on ultraprocessed foods and their links to certain health problems.
Now many of us are looking at what we eat through a new lens: We’re not just paying attention to the nutrients in our food; we’re also looking for clues to tell whether a food was processed — and if so, how much.
But what, exactly, should we look for? And how can we make sense of lengthy ingredients lists?
Today, we’ll play a game to explore your buying habits — but first, let’s review some basics.
What are ultraprocessed foods?
Ultraprocessed foods, or UPFs, are commonly defined as products you couldn’t typically make in your own kitchen. They contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, protein isolates, emulsifiers and artificial flavors, colors and sweeteners. Think chicken nuggets, hot dogs, flavored yogurts, sodas and many breakfast cereals, packaged breads and snack foods.
We don’t have a clear picture of when ultraprocessed foods started to dominate our diets. They have been part of the American food supply for decades, but they probably got a boost in the 1980s and ’90s, when tobacco companies bought several major food companies. The products made by those companies were more likely to have combinations of fat, sugar, carbohydrates or sodium that made them hard to stop eating, research suggests. And over time, our consumption of them has gradually crept up.
Today, ultraprocessed foods make up a majority of what we eat — nearly 60 percent of the calories adults consume in the United States, and nearly 70 percent of the calories consumed by children and teens.
How do ultraprocessed foods affect our health?
There’s a lot scientists are still learning about ultraprocessed foods, but public health experts are increasingly warning that they may be contributing to poor health.
Researchers have linked ultraprocessed foods to 32 health concerns, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, certain gastrointestinal conditions and some types of cancer. Studies have also found links between ultraprocessed foods and depression and anxiety.
But it’s not clear whether all ultraprocessed foods are harmful for us. One recent study, for instance, suggested that some, like flavored yogurts and cereal, were not. It’s also unclear if ultraprocessed foods directly cause poor health, or if it is caused by other aspects of people’s lives.
It may take decades for researchers to work through exactly why UPFs are connected to negative health outcomes. Still, most experts agree there’s enough evidence to suggest we should eat less ultraprocessed foods.
But we have families to feed and overwhelming supermarket choices to face. So where to start?
The Well Challenge Day 1: How often do you buy ultraprocessed foods? Let’s find out.
Today, we’ll help you understand how often ultraprocessed foods end up in your cart when you go to the market. You don’t have to leave your seat for this one.
We designed a digital game where you’ll go “shopping” to learn more about ultraprocessed foods at the store.
Then, stay tuned for more UPF challenges all week long.
