What are ultra-processed foods and are they bad for you?
MINNEAPOLIS — We know that whole foods like fruits and vegetables are good for us, but they don't make up the majority of our diet.
In fact, almost 60% of calories in the average American diet come from ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods — with added ingredients like preservatives, artificial flavors and colors — make up 73% of the U.S. food supply, and have been linked to issues like diabetes, obesity, depression and cancer.
"These are foods that are processed, but they're really distinguished by what is added to it. And typically they contain a lot of sugar, fat, salt," said Job Ubbink, Food Science and Nutrition Department Head at the University of Minnesota. "Typically ultra-processed foods, these are rich in calories, high in calories, but low in essential nutrients we need to have."
Ultra-processed foods include candy bars, chips, pastries and fast foods.
Veganwitt founder Wilton Howard cut them from his diet after experiencing inflammation.
"It did wonders for my health just in a matter of a week and so I'll never go back," he said.
But there's a difference between ultra-processed and processed foods.
By comparison, processed foods, like bread, cheese and canned vegetables, contain more nutrients.
Even pure maple syrup is considered a processed food.
"It's hard to find the time to cook for yourself, to grow your own food. It takes a lot of discipline, a lot of courage," Howard said.
Although ultra-processed foods are cheaper and more convenient, Ubbink says smart shopping is key.
"It's a balance. Some things work out and help make food safe, increase its shelf life, sometimes make it more nutritious for us. Sometimes if we overdo it, we eliminate essential nutrients and that's something we should really avoid," Ubbink said.
Ubbink recommends that customers shop for fresh produce first, check the ingredient of processed foods for the fewest additives and avoid shopping on an empty stomach.