What are the 9 ultra-processed foods you should not eat? Your Guide to Healthier Choices

October 17, 2025 •

5 min read

According to the American Medical Association, up to 57% of the average adult's daily caloric intake comes from ultra-processed foods. But what are the 9 ultra-processed foods you should not eat? Recognizing and avoiding these items is a critical step towards improving your nutrition and reducing your risk of chronic diseases.

Quick Summary

This article outlines nine key categories of ultra-processed foods to avoid for better health. It explains how to identify these products by reading ingredient labels and offers healthier, whole-food-based alternatives to support a more nutritious diet and reduce disease risk.

Key Points

Identify the NOVA System: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrially-made items containing cheap, extracted ingredients and cosmetic additives, as defined by the NOVA classification.
Ditch Sugary Drinks: Sodas, energy drinks, and sweetened juices are a key category of UPFs that provide empty calories and are linked to significant health risks.
Beware of Hidden Additives: Even seemingly 'wholesome' items like packaged bread and flavored yogurt can be ultra-processed due to added sugars, emulsifiers, and preservatives.
Reduce Reconstituted Meats: Processed meats such as hot dogs and sausages are often high in sodium, saturated fat, and potentially harmful additives.
Read Ingredient Labels: The best defense is a short ingredient list with recognizable, whole-food items. Avoid products with long lists of chemical-sounding names.
Overcome Hyper-palatability: UPFs are engineered to be addictive, leading to overconsumption. Choosing whole foods helps restore normal appetite signals.
Shop the Grocery Perimeter: Focus on the outer aisles of the store where fresh produce, dairy, and meat are typically found, as these areas contain fewer UPFs.

Understanding Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF)

Ultra-processed foods, often abbreviated as UPFs, are defined by the NOVA classification system based on the extent and purpose of their industrial processing. They are typically industrial formulations made from substances derived from other foods, such as oils, fats, sugars, and starches, along with cosmetic additives like flavors, colorings, and emulsifiers. Unlike minimally processed foods that are simply prepared (like frozen fruit or plain yogurt), UPFs are engineered for convenience, long shelf-life, and hyper-palatability, meaning they are designed to be addictive and over-consumed. This heavy processing often strips foods of their natural nutrients, including fiber, while loading them with unhealthy components.

The 9 Ultra-Processed Foods to Avoid

While it’s impossible to list every single product, focusing on these nine common categories can significantly reduce your intake of ultra-processed items and benefit your overall health.

Sugary and Artificially Sweetened Drinks: This includes soda, energy drinks, and sweetened fruit drinks. They offer no nutritional value, are loaded with added sugars or sweeteners, and are strongly linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other health issues. The artificial sweeteners in “diet” versions can also pose risks.
Mass-Produced Packaged Breads: Many supermarket breads, even those labeled “whole grain,” contain a cocktail of additives like emulsifiers, preservatives, and added sugars to extend shelf-life and enhance texture. These are a far cry from the simple, freshly-baked bread made with flour, water, and yeast.
Reconstituted Meat Products: Hot dogs, sausages, bacon, and chicken nuggets are classic examples of UPFs. They are often made from mechanically separated meat, loaded with preservatives, flavor enhancers, and high levels of sodium and saturated fats. Studies have linked high consumption of these products to a higher risk of early death.
Sweetened Breakfast Cereals and Bars: Many cereals and so-called “energy bars” marketed as healthy are in fact ultra-processed. They contain added sugars, flavorings, and processed ingredients that make them highly palatable but nutritionally empty.
Packaged Snacks (Crisps, Cookies, Candy): This is perhaps the most obvious category of UPFs. These products are formulated to be highly addictive, with a potent combination of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. They are energy-dense but nutrient-poor.
Instant Noodles and Packet Soups: These products are dehydrated and contain a complex mix of additives, flavorings, and preservatives. They often lack any significant nutritional value and have extremely high sodium content.
Ready-to-Eat Frozen Meals: From frozen pizzas to pre-made lasagnas, many ready-made meals are heavily processed. They use low-cost ingredients and multiple additives to achieve a long shelf-life and intense flavor.
Flavored Yogurts: While plain yogurt is a minimally processed food, flavored versions often contain significant amounts of added sugar, fruit juice concentrates, thickeners, and artificial flavors. This can turn a healthy probiotic source into a sugary dessert.
Margarine and Other Spreads: Some margarines and spreads are made with hydrogenated or interesterified oils and emulsifiers, making them a type of UPF. These unhealthy fats are often linked to poor cardiovascular health.

The Health Consequences of Ultra-Processed Foods

Consuming a diet high in UPFs has been associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Research published in The BMJ found links between higher UPF consumption and an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. A key study at Yale Medicine revealed that participants on an ultra-processed diet consumed 500 more calories per day and gained weight compared to those on a whole-food diet, even when meals were matched for basic nutrients.

Several mechanisms contribute to these negative effects:

Nutrient Displacement: UPFs are designed to be cheap and convenient, often displacing more nutritious whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and legumes from the diet.
Hyper-palatability: The engineered combination of sugar, fat, and salt makes UPFs irresistibly tasty and overrides the body's natural satiety signals, leading to overeating.
Additives and Contaminants: The cocktail of cosmetic additives and potential contaminants from packaging materials can disrupt the gut microbiome and cause chronic inflammation.
Impact on Blood Sugar: The high glycemic load of many UPFs can cause rapid spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, contributing to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Comparison: Ultra-Processed vs. Whole-Food Alternatives

To illustrate the difference, here is a comparison table showcasing some healthier swaps you can make.


Ultra-Processed Food Example	Common UPF Ingredients	Healthier Whole-Food Alternative	Key Ingredients of Alternative
Sweetened Breakfast Cereal	High-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, preservatives, modified starches	Plain Rolled Oats	Rolled oats, water or milk, fresh fruit, nuts
Packaged Cookies	Sugar, hydrogenated fats, emulsifiers, flavorings	Fruit and Nuts	Fresh or dried fruit, raw unsalted nuts
Frozen Pizza	Processed cheese, restructured meat, preservatives, thickeners	Homemade Pizza	Whole wheat dough, real mozzarella, fresh veggies, lean protein
Flavored Yogurt	Added sugar, fruit juice concentrate, artificial flavors, stabilizers	Plain Greek Yogurt	Greek yogurt, fresh berries, touch of honey
Hot Dogs/Sausages	Mechanically separated meat, sodium nitrite, high sodium, flavorings	Grilled Chicken Breast	Chicken breast, herbs, spices

Practical Steps for Cutting Back on UPFs

Reducing ultra-processed foods doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Small, consistent changes can make a huge impact over time. Here are some actionable tips endorsed by nutrition experts:

Shop the Perimeter: Most grocery stores place fresh, whole foods like produce, dairy, and lean meats around the outer aisles. Shopping here can help you focus on less processed items.
Read the Ingredients List: The shorter the list, the better. Look for whole food ingredients you recognize and avoid long lists of chemicals, preservatives, and added sugars. An ingredient ending in ‘-ose’ (like fructose) or a complex-sounding additive is often a red flag.
Plan and Cook Meals at Home: Meal prepping allows you to control the ingredients and avoids reliance on convenient, ready-made options. Batch cooking meals like stews, curries, or homemade pasta sauce and freezing them is an excellent strategy.
Swap Smartly: For example, swap a can of instant soup for a homemade version, or trade sugary drinks for water or unsweetened tea. Use plain Greek yogurt and add your own fruit instead of buying a pre-flavored one.
Make Your Snacks Count: Replace processed snacks like crisps and candy with whole foods. Nuts, fresh fruit, carrots, and hard-boiled eggs are simple and nutritious alternatives.

Conclusion

By understanding what constitutes an ultra-processed food and actively avoiding the most prevalent types, you can take control of your nutritional health. The benefits of reducing UPFs go far beyond weight management, encompassing a lower risk of chronic diseases and better overall well-being. Choosing fresh, minimally processed foods more often is a powerful step towards building a healthier, more sustainable diet that supports your body from the inside out.

Yale Medicine has a great overview of the research on ultra-processed foods and health consequences.

Frequently Asked Questions

Look for a long ingredient list with names you don't recognize or wouldn't find in a home kitchen, such as emulsifiers (e.g., lecithin), flavor enhancers (e.g., MSG), and artificial sweeteners. Foods with very few ingredients that are easily identifiable (like 'rolled oats' or 'canned beans') are less likely to be ultra-processed.

No. The NOVA system differentiates between minimally processed foods (like plain yogurt, frozen vegetables) and processed foods (like canned fish, simple cheeses) which can be part of a healthy diet. The primary concern is with ultra-processed foods, which have undergone extensive industrial alteration and contain many additives.

Opt for whole-food snacks like fresh fruit, a handful of unsalted nuts, chopped vegetables with hummus, or plain yogurt with berries. These provide sustained energy and essential nutrients without the empty calories and unhealthy additives found in many packaged items.

Not all wholemeal bread is the same. While homemade bread is not a UPF, many mass-produced, store-bought wholemeal loaves are. They often contain emulsifiers and other additives to extend shelf-life, which classifies them as ultra-processed under the NOVA system.

Yes. A study published in 2019 showed that participants on an ultra-processed diet ate an average of 500 calories more per day than those on a whole-food diet and gained weight. This is largely due to the high energy density and hyper-palatability of UPFs, which drive overconsumption.

Even if a product is fortified with vitamins or claims to be high in fiber, it can still be an ultra-processed food if it contains added sugars, artificial flavors, and other additives. These products may offer some nutrients but are generally less beneficial than starting with whole, unprocessed foods.

Start with small steps. Try cooking from scratch just one or two more times per week. Make simple meals like stir-fries or omelettes. Meal prepping can also be a game-changer; cook a large batch of a meal like chili or pasta sauce and portion it out for later.