What makes a food ultra-processed - and what's the big deal?

jamiepopeauthor
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yesterday

What makes a food ultra-processed - and what's the big deal?  A frequent question and concern of not only students, but the general public.  And the answer isn't straightforward.  I really appreciated this balanced article from US Today entitled "Minimally processed vs. ultra-processed foods:  What's the difference?" and it's perspective. http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/08/11/what-are-processed-foods/85554799007  The article points out certain benefits of processing in making our food safer as well as potentially more nutrient dense, accessible, and affordable.  The issues arise when foods are processed to make them more palatible and easier to overeat (think added sugar, salt, saturated fats, artificial ingredients) rather than enhance their nutritional content (think added vitamin D, folic acid, calcium....).   Americans get the majority of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods - which correlates to fewer vegetables, fruit, and whole grains; and less fiber, healthy fats, and certain essential nutrients.   A healthy approach would be to emphasize whole or minimally processed foods while choosing processed foods with an eye towards nutritional content.  For a classroom activity, ask students to bring in a wrapper or package of a processed food or to post a picture of a processed food they typically consume and to discuss potential benefits, drawbacks, and how that food item might fit within an overall healthy diet.   

 

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About the Author
Jamie Pope, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University, has worked in the areas of obesity research, health promotion, heart disease prevention, and since 2000 teaching introductory nutrition. Beyond the classroom, she adapted portions of her nutrition courses to produce a Massive Open Online Course attracting more than 175,000 participants from around the world. This experience earned Jamie an Innovation in Teaching award from the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She is the co-author of the textbook entitled Nutrition for a Changing World. Now in its second edition, the text is in use in over 140 universities across the U.S. and the recipient of a 2020 Textbook Excellence Award. Most recently she developed and produced an audio course for Learn25.com (Nutrition 101: Understanding the Science and Practice of Eating Well) that is also featured on platforms like Apple Books and Audible. Jamie holds a Master’s of Science degree in Nutrition and post graduate work in Health Psychology. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Jamie is an active member and serves on the board of the Textbook and Academic Authors Association. She has authored or contributed to numerous scientific and popular press publications. Jamie also held several corporate positions, serving as nutrition consultant and media representative.