Examples of Ultra-Processed Food to Know and Avoid

According to a 2025 study in the journal Nature Medicine, a diet high in processed foods can inhibit weight loss, while another study from Harvard found a high intake was linked to a greater risk of early death. These findings highlight the importance of understanding and identifying ultra-processed food in your daily diet. Many of these items are cheap, convenient, and heavily marketed, but often lack nutrients and contain high levels of added sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.

Quick Summary

This article defines ultra-processed foods, provides numerous common examples, and explains how to spot them by their ingredients, processing methods, and lack of whole foods. Learn about the health risks associated with a high intake and discover easy swaps for a more balanced diet. The information is based on the widely used NOVA classification system.

Key Points

• Sugary Drinks: Beverages like soda, energy drinks, and sweetened juices are classic examples of ultra-processed foods due to their high sugar content and additives.

• Packaged Snacks and Candy: Potato chips, packaged cookies, crackers, and candy are typically high in unhealthy fats, salt, and sugar, and low in nutrients.

• Ready-to-Eat Meals: Frozen pizzas, instant noodles, and microwave dinners are formulated with numerous industrial ingredients for convenience and shelf life.

• Processed Meats: Hot dogs, sausages, and deli meats are common ultra-processed items containing flavor enhancers, preservatives, and reconstituted meat.

• Read the Label: Look for a long list of unfamiliar ingredients, especially additives like emulsifiers, hydrogenated fats, and high-fructose corn syrup, to identify ultra-processed foods.

• Not All Processed is Ultra-Processed: A key distinction exists between simply processed foods (like freshly baked bread or canned legumes) and ultra-processed items, which are extensively altered formulations.

What Defines an Ultra-Processed Food?

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrial formulations typically containing five or more ingredients that are not commonly used in home cooking. They are engineered to be highly palatable, convenient, and have a long shelf life. According to the NOVA food classification system, UPFs are distinct from simply 'processed' foods because of the extent and purpose of their processing. While regular processed foods might involve canning or salting (like canned fish or freshly baked bread), UPFs involve complex industrial methods like extrusion, molding, and the addition of cosmetic additives.

Identifying ultra-processed foods often requires reading the ingredient list carefully. Look for substances you wouldn't find in a typical kitchen, such as hydrolyzed proteins, high-fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils. Other tell-tale signs include a long list of ingredients and the presence of additives like emulsifiers, stabilizers, flavor enhancers, and artificial colors and sweeteners.

The Health Implications of a High UPF Diet

A significant body of research points to potential negative health outcomes associated with a high consumption of ultra-processed foods. These include obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. The reasons are complex but are often linked to their low nutritional value, high caloric density, and potential impact on the gut microbiome due to their lack of fiber and abundance of certain additives. A high intake can also lead to overconsumption, as these foods are specifically designed to be irresistible.

Common Ultra-Processed Food Examples

Many everyday items fall into the ultra-processed category. Below are some of the most accessible and frequently consumed examples:

• Sugary and artificially sweetened beverages: This includes soft drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened fruit juices.
• Packaged sweet and savory snacks: Examples are potato chips, packaged cookies, crackers, and candy.
• Mass-produced baked goods: Commercial breads, buns, pastries, and cakes that contain a long list of additives for texture and shelf life.
• Breakfast cereals: Especially those that are sweetened or contain multiple additives.
• Frozen and ready-to-eat meals: This includes frozen pizzas, fish sticks, chicken nuggets, microwave dinners, and instant noodles.
• Processed meats: Items like hot dogs, sausages, ham, and deli meats.
• Flavored dairy products: Sweetened and fruit-flavored yogurts and ice cream.
• Margarine and spreads: Many low-fat or synthetic spreads are heavily processed.
• Condiments and sauces: Some store-bought instant sauces, salad dressings, and ketchup varieties contain hidden UPF ingredients.

Distinguishing Ultra-Processed from Processed Foods

To better understand how to navigate your food choices, here is a comparison between genuinely processed foods (NOVA Group 3) and ultra-processed foods (NOVA Group 4). This helps clarify that not all processing is created equal.

Feature	Processed Foods (NOVA Group 3)	Ultra-Processed Foods (NOVA Group 4)
Purpose of Processing	To preserve, make durable, or modify flavors using simple methods.	To create profitable, convenient, and hyper-palatable products.
Typical Ingredients	Few ingredients, often recognizable as the original food plus salt, sugar, or oil.	Formulations with multiple ingredients, including substances not used in home cooking.
Processing Methods	Canning, bottling, salting, curing, non-alcoholic fermentation.	Hydrogenation, extrusion, molding, pre-frying, complex reconstitution.
Recognizability	Usually recognizable as a version of the original food (e.g., canned beans).	Often unrecognizable or designed to imitate whole foods (e.g., chicken nuggets).
Common Examples	Salted nuts, freshly baked bread from a local bakery, cured meats, canned vegetables in water.	Sugary cereals, soft drinks, frozen dinners, mass-produced packaged bread.

Conclusion: Mindful Choices for a Healthier Diet

While avoiding ultra-processed foods entirely may be difficult, especially for those with time or budget constraints, being aware of common examples and reading labels is a powerful first step. Small, consistent swaps—like choosing plain yogurt over a fruit-flavored version or preparing meals from whole ingredients—can significantly improve dietary quality. The NOVA classification system offers a useful framework for understanding how extensively foods have been altered. Focusing on a variety of whole foods—such as fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and lean proteins—is the most effective strategy for mitigating the potential health risks associated with a high UPF intake. Making informed choices is key to nourishing your body and promoting long-term health.

For further information on the NOVA classification system, explore the Food and Agriculture Organization's definition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between processed food and ultra-processed food?

Processed food involves simple modifications like salting, canning, or fermentation (e.g., canned beans, cheese). Ultra-processed food, however, involves complex industrial formulations with multiple additives and substances not used in home cooking, creating products like soft drinks, frozen meals, and packaged snacks.

Are all breakfast cereals ultra-processed?

No, but most are. Many breakfast cereals, particularly those that are sweetened or heavily fortified, are classified as ultra-processed due to their long list of ingredients and additives. Minimally processed cereals, such as plain rolled oats, are a less-processed alternative.

Is packaged bread always ultra-processed?

Not necessarily, but most mass-produced supermarket bread is. Commercial breads often contain additives, emulsifiers, and preservatives to extend shelf life and alter texture, qualifying them as ultra-processed. Fresh bread from a local bakery with few, simple ingredients is typically classified as processed.

What are some hidden examples of ultra-processed food?

Some less obvious examples include low-fat fruit yogurts (due to added sweeteners and stabilizers), most salad dressings, some condiments like ketchup, and many energy or granola bars that contain hidden additives and sugars.

Why are ultra-processed foods potentially harmful?

They are often high in added sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt, while lacking in fiber and micronutrients. The complex processing methods and additives can also negatively affect gut health and contribute to overconsumption, which is linked to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic health issues.

Can I eat any ultra-processed food and still be healthy?

Yes. The occasional consumption of ultra-processed food is not a major concern, and some ultra-processed items may contain beneficial nutrients. The key is moderation and prioritizing a diet rich in whole and minimally processed foods, rather than eliminating UPFs entirely.

What are easy ways to reduce my intake of ultra-processed foods?

You can make simple swaps, such as choosing whole foods over packaged snacks, opting for plain yogurt and adding your own fruit, cooking more meals at home from scratch, and being mindful of ingredients in sauces and condiments.