The term “ultra-processed food” is relatively new in nutrition science, and there isn’s universal agreement on a precise definition. However, experts generally agree these factory-made products contain ingredients you wouldn’t typically keep in your pantry, like hydrogenated oils, additives such as high fructose corn syrup, and food stabilizers. The NOVA system, a research framework for classifying foods, identifies ultra-processed foods as those most altered from their original form, often undergoing significant industrial processing. This category includes everything from certain dairy products to commercially made hummus and soda.
While some ultra-processed foods can offer health benefits, research consistently links diets high in these foods with negative health outcomes—obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early death. The key is understanding why this matters and how to make smarter choices. This article highlights common ultra-processed foods often perceived as healthy, along with dietitian-recommended swaps for less-processed alternatives.
Identifying the Culprits: Nine Common Ultra-Processed Foods
Here are nine foods that might surprise you with their level of processing, followed by practical and healthier swaps:
- Flavored or Sweetened Yogurt
Yogurt is frequently marketed as a wholesome snack, but many popular varieties are surprisingly packed with added sugars and low in protein, according to Gretchen Zimmerman, RD, vice president of clinical strategy at Vida Health, a weight loss program in New York City. These additives, combined with artificial flavors, thickeners, and stabilizers, push many flavored yogurts into the ultra-processed category. Excessive added sugar intake can increase your risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure, while low-protein yogurts may leave you lacking energy.
What to Eat Instead: Opt for plain Greek yogurt and sweeten it naturally with berries, banana slices, or a drizzle of honey. “While still technically processed, it’s considered a minimally processed food,” Zimmerman explains. “In contrast, ultra-processed yogurts include additives that shift the product further away from its whole-food origin toward an industrial formulation.”
- Plant-Based Meat Alternatives
Many people turn to plant-based burgers and sausages as healthier alternatives to red meat. These products are generally lower in calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol than meat products, and replacing red meat with healthy plant-based foods is associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and total mortality. However, plant-based meat alternatives often contain protein isolates, refined oils, starches, and additives to mimic the taste and texture of meat. While cutting back on red meat offers major health benefits, consuming excessive amounts of plant-based meat alternatives can contribute to high sodium intake and provide less iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and protein quality than meat products.
What to Eat Instead: Prepare black bean or lentil burgers at home. Products with short ingredient lists of whole foods like beans, vegetables, and grains are also a less-processed store-bought option.
- Breakfast Cereals
Breakfast cereals are promoted as a quick, healthy start to the day. But many – even those labeled “organic” or “high in fiber” – are often packed with added sugars, refined carbohydrates, artificial flavors, and preservatives. This can lead to a breakfast that spikes your blood sugar without providing lasting fullness. Excessive sugar intake, commonly found in breakfast cereals, has also been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
What to Eat Instead: Build a more nutritious bowl with homemade muesli, cooked oatmeal, or homemade granola made from oats, nuts, and seeds. Alternatively, try overnight oats with chia seeds and berries or quinoa or farro breakfast bowls with fruit and nut butter. If you do buy cereal, choose the least-processed version possible, prioritizing whole grains listed first, at least 5 grams of fiber, and less than 10 grams of sugar per serving.
- Veggie Straws and Veggie Chips
Veggie straws and chips often sound like a lighter, healthier alternative to potato chips. However, they are nutritionally closer to chips than vegetables. They’re mainly made from potato flour, oil, salt, and flavorings, with just a dusting of vegetable powders for color.
What to Eat Instead: Air-popped popcorn made from plain kernels (not the flavored microwavable bags) offers a whole-grain, naturally fiber-rich, crunchy snack you can easily season with salt, spices, or nutritional yeast.
- Gluten-Free Snacks
Gluten-free products are often perceived as healthier due to the exclusion of gluten. However, many are heavily processed, containing refined starches, gums, and sweeteners to improve texture and taste, effectively making them more processed than their gluten-containing counterparts.
What to Eat Instead: Focus on naturally gluten-free whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean proteins, and whole grains like quinoa or brown rice.
- Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potato fries are often marketed as the healthier cousin to regular fries. However, in most restaurants, they’re prepared similarly – deep-fried in refined oils that have been heated repeatedly. This process creates harmful compounds like oxidized fats, acrylamide, and advanced glycation end products, all linked to cancer risk. While sweet potatoes themselves are nutrient-dense, frying them negates many of those benefits.
What to Eat Instead: Bake sweet potato wedges at home or use an air fryer for a crisp texture with significantly less oil. For the greatest nutrient payoff, try steaming or baking whole sweet potatoes with the skin on to maximize fiber and vitamin intake.
- Breakfast Bars
While convenient, many breakfast bars are packed with added sugars, refined grains, and processed oils. They often have a long list of ingredients, indicating significant processing.
What to Eat Instead: Opt for a balanced breakfast of whole-grain toast with nut butter and fruit, or a smoothie made with fruits, vegetables, protein powder, and healthy fats.
- Low-Fat or Nonfat Products
Manufacturers often remove fat from products to make them seem healthier. However, to compensate for the loss of flavor and texture, they add sugar, salt, and artificial ingredients, often increasing the overall level of processing.
What to Eat Instead: Choose full-fat versions of dairy products or natural sources of healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
- Processed Lunch Meats & Sausages
Processed lunch meats and sausages often contain high levels of sodium, saturated fat, and preservatives, and are often linked to adverse health outcomes.
What to Eat Instead: Choose lean protein sources like grilled chicken breast, fish, or beans, and prepare them at home to control ingredients and avoid unnecessary additives.
The Takeaway
Many foods marketed as healthy—like some yogurts, plant-based meat alternatives, gluten-free snacks, and veggie chips—are often surprisingly ultra-processed. These foods are frequently high in added sugar, sodium, refined starches, and additives that can contribute to health risks like weight gain, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease when consumed regularly.
To minimize your intake of ultra-processed foods, carefully read ingredient labels and swap them for simple, whole-food alternatives. Making conscious choices doesn’t require sacrificing convenience or flavor—it’s about being more mindful of the foods that truly support long-term health.
Editorial Sources
- Adams J. The NOVA System Can Be Used to Address Harmful Foods and Harmful Food Systems. PLoS Medicine. November 19, 2024.
- Examining the Nova Food Classification System and the Healthfulness of Ultra-Processed Foods. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. January 23, 2025.
- Lane M et al. Ultra-Processed Food Exposure and Adverse Health Outcomes: Umbrella Review of Epidemiological Meta-Analyses. The BMJ. February 28, 2024.
- The Sweet Danger of Sugar. Harvard Health Publishing. January 6, 2022.
- Pezeshki A et al. Low Protein Diets and Energy Balance: Mechanisms of Action on Energy Intake and Expenditure. Frontiers in Nutrition. May 13, 2021.
- Sadig R et al. Are Novel Plant-Based Meat Alternatives the Healthier Choice? Food Research International. May 2024.
- Protein in Diet. MedlinePlus. April 1, 2025.
- The Hidden Dangers of Protein Powders. Harvard Health Publishing. August 15, 2022.
- Grillo A et al. Sodium Intake and Hypertension. Nutrients. August 21, 2019.
- Goins R et al. Consumption of Foods and Beverages Rich in Added Sugar Associated With Incident Metabolic Syndrome: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. June 2024.
- Debras C et al. Total and Added Sugar Intakes, Sugar Types, and Cancer Risk: Results From the Prospective NutriNet-Santé Cohort. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. November 2020.
- Khan IA et al. Editorial: Hazardous substances from food processing: Formation and control, biotoxicity and mitigation. Frontiers in Nutrition. December 20, 2022.
Meet Our Expert
Tara Collingwood, RDN
Medical Reviewer
Tara Collingwood, RDN, is a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, an American College of Sports Medicine–certified personal trainer, and a media spokesperson. As a sports dietitian, she has worked with the U.S. Tennis Association, the Orlando Magic, World Wrestling Entertainment, runDisney, the University of Central Florida, and numerous professional and amateur athletes. Collingwood is the author of Pregnancy Cooking and Nutrition for Dummies and a coauthor of the Flat Belly Cookbook for Dummies.
She appears regularly on national and local TV, and speaks around the world to business teams on how to manage energy physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. She previously served as a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Collingwood double-majored in dietetics as well as nutrition, fitness, and health at Purdue University and earned a master’s degree in health promotion from Purdue University
