NUTRITION HOTLINE
Are All Ultraprocessed Foods Bad?
by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
QUESTION: What are ultraprocessed foods? Are they bad for me?
C.K., via email
ANSWER: Scientists in Brazil are credited with creating the term ultraprocessed food.1 They wanted to distinguish between foods like apples, sweetened applesauce, and sugary fruit drinks, which could all be classified as "fruits" in traditional ways of grouping foods. They proposed an alternate system2 that classifies foods into four groups, one of which is "ultraprocessed food." These foods are ready to eat with little or no preparation. They have undergone processes such as salting, baking, frying, pickling, and canning. They are typically high-calorie, high-sugar, high-sodium, low-fiber foods that contain little protein and few vitamins or minerals. If we simply look at this definition, ultraprocessed foods should at least be limited, if not avoided. It's more complicated, however.
Many foods eaten by vegans such as plant milks, veggie burgers, and plant protein-based meat and egg substitutes are being classified as ultraprocessed foods.3-4 Even traditional foods such as tofu and tempeh have been categorized as ultra-processed.5 This is concerning because fortified soymilk is wildly different from a sugary soft drink in nutritional quality. Classifying vegan foods rich in important nutrients, high fiber and low in sugar and saturated fat, as ultraprocessed foods, a category that people are being told to avoid, doesn't seem right.
Ultraprocessed vegan foods can be helpful for those with limited cooking skills, cooking facilities, mobility, time, or energy. Selective use of vegan ultraprocessed foods can make it possible to eat a meal that could be better nutritionally than fast food or snack foods that don't require any cooking. Look for vegan products based on whole grains, vegetables, and legumes and for products lower in sodium and saturated fats.
The choice is yours. You may opt to avoid ultraprocessed foods. You may use these foods occasionally, being aware of which ones are better choices. You may decide to use these foods fairly often but combine them with healthier foods. For example, instead of eating two vegan burgers, eat one burger with a salad and a sweet potato. Depending on your situation, you might use all of these options variably. Food choices are driven by many factors and there are many ways to have a healthy vegan diet. Check vrg.org for a wealth of simple vegan meal ideas.
REFERENCES:
1 Monteiro CA, et al. A new classification of foods based on the extent and purpose of their processing. Cad Saude Publica. 2010;26:2039-2049.
2 Monteiro CA, et al. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutr. 2019;22:936-941.
3 Orlich MJ, et al. Ultra-processed food intake and animal-based food intake and mortality in the Adventist Health Study-2. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;115:1589-1601.
4 Gehring J, et al. Consumption of ultra-processed foods by pesco-vegetarians, vegetarians, and vegans: associations with duration and age at diet initiation. J Nutr. 2021;151:120-131.
5 Rauber F, et al. Implications of food ultra-processing on cardiovascular risk considering plant origin foods: an analysis of the UK Biobank cohort. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2024;43:100948.
