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Most top nutrition experts agree: Cutting back on ultra-processed foods is a good way to improve your health.
But not all ultra-processed foods are created equal. Some are better for you than others. You can find less processed, healthier options by checking ingredient lists for additives, preservatives, fillers and artificial ingredients. This can help you avoid ultra-processed foods altogether or find the versions that have the fewest potentially harmful ingredients.
Ultra-processed foods have been linked to premature death, obesity, heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. That's because they're typically made with unhealthy additives and designed by manufacturers to overcome your satiety mechanisms, causing you to overeat.
The problem is that ultra-processed foods are ubiquitous. They make up a majority of the calories that Americans consume.
To help you pick less processed foods, we spoke to experts and analyzed nutrition labels and ingredient lists for dozens of products in five common categories: sliced bread, chicken nuggets, peanut butter, Greek yogurt and cold cuts.
The first thing to understand is that food processing and even ultra-processing are part of a spectrum. The goal was to find the least processed versions of each food. In some cases, that means versions that are minimally processed, with just one or two simple ingredients. In other cases, that means versions that are still ultra-processed but that have less sodium, sugar, artificial ingredients and other additives than standard versions.
Here are red flags to watch out for, and several healthier options in each category.
• Sliced bread
Look for breads that say "whole grain" or "100 percent whole grain" on their labels, said Kelly Springer, a registered dietitian and owner of Kelly's Choice, a nutrition company based in Skaneateles, New York.
This is important because grains contain three components: the bran, the germ and the endosperm. Ultra-processed breads typically contain flour that's made from just the endosperm. But the bran and germ contain most of the fiber and vitamins.
Red flags:
• White flour listed as the first ingredient: This indicates the bread is largely made from grains that have been stripped of their fiber and nutrients.
• Additives such as azodicarbonamide, calcium propionate and potassium sorbate: Does the bread contain a slew of additives that you wouldn't use at home? Or does it contain things you recognize, like whole wheat, salt, yeast, seeds and vinegar?
• Emulsifiers, preservatives and dough conditioners: Many of the packaged breads sold in supermarkets contain emulsifiers and preservatives to make them softer, increase their volume and extend their shelf life. They also contain dough conditioners and other additives that make the dough rise faster and that improve the bread's appearance and elasticity. Beware of additives such as mono- and di-glycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate, and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). "In general, the less ingredients the better, and it's good if you can actually pronounce the ingredients," said Beth Czerwony, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Human Nutrition.
Healthier options:
• Dave's Killer Bread: This brand specializes in making breads with whole grains, seeds and organic ingredients. It's high in protein and contains no artificial ingredients. "This is the bread we buy in our house and give to our kids," Springer said.
• Food for Life Ezekiel Bread: Made from organic, whole grains and legumes, Ezekiel bread is less processed and more nutritious than most commercial breads. It also contains sprouted grains, which are made by soaking grains in water until they germinate. This breaks down the starches in the grains and makes them easier to digest, Springer said. "Ezekiel bread is great for people that may have some gluten sensitivity," she added.
• Beckmann's Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread: This sliced bread has just a handful of simple ingredients, such as whole wheat flour, water, sea salt, barley malt and vitamin C.
• Alvarado St. Bakery: This brand uses organic, sprouted whole grains like wheat berries, rolled oats, barley and millet to make a variety of nutritious sliced breads.
• 2. Chicken nuggets
It's common for chicken nuggets to contain a lot of ingredients. That's because you typically need flour, breading and a variety of everyday seasonings (like garlic, paprika, salt and onion powder) to make them. But if you don't recognize all the ingredients, that's a sign the nuggets are ultra-processed.
Red flags:
• "White chicken meat": Many store-bought, frozen chicken nuggets list "white chicken meat" as their first ingredient, which can mean that the nuggets contain not only chicken breast but other ground-up parts of the chicken, including bones, tendons and nervous tissue. Instead, look for nuggets that list "chicken breast" or "whole" breast meat pieces as the first ingredient.
• Fillers: Some companies add fillers to chicken nuggets such as wheat gluten and textured soy protein concentrate, which allows them to use less meat.
• Chemical additives: Many chicken nuggets contain preservatives, fast-acting leavening agents, emulsifiers and stabilizers. These include compounds such as propylene glycol, pyrophosphate, calcium phosphate and sodium phosphate.
• Excess sodium: One of the pitfalls of ultra-processed foods is that they often contain a lot of sodium. If a food contains 20 percent or more of the daily value for sodium per serving, then that means it's a high-sodium food.
• Peanut butter Some of the most popular peanut butter brands today contain additives designed to enhance their flavor, texture and appearance, such as sugar, hydrogenated oils and emulsifiers. These additives can transform peanut butter from a minimally processed food into an ultra-processed food.
Red flags:
• Palm oil or hydrogenated vegetable oils such as cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed oils: These oils stabilize the peanut butter and make it smoother and creamier. In fact, products that contain these extra oils are often labeled "peanut butter spread" and contain phrases like "no stir" on their labels. That's because the Food and Drug Administration requires that peanut butters that contain "non-peanut ingredients" that make up 10 percent or more of their weight must be labeled "spreads."
• Mono- and di-glycerides: Mono- and di-glycerides are emulsifiers that prevent the oil from separating and help prolong the product's shelf life.
Sugar, molasses and other sweeteners: Some popular brands of peanut butter contain a teaspoon of sugar or more per serving.
Healthier options:
These products are made with only peanuts or just two ingredients: peanuts and salt.
• Smucker's All Natural Peanut Butter.
• Trader Joe's Creamy Peanut Butter Unsalted.
• Santa Cruz Organic Creamy Dark Roasted Peanut Butter.
• Target's Good & Gather Organic Stir Peanut Butter.
• Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter.
• Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat: It's full of protein, minerals and probiotics that promote gut health.
In general, the yogurt you buy should have just two ingredients: milk and cultures (and in some cases, cream). If you want toppings or sweeteners, then add your own. The amount of honey or sugar you add will probably still be a lot less than the amount you'll find in flavored yogurts, said Stephen Devries, an adjunct associate professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the executive director of the educational nonprofit Gaples Institute.
Red flags:
• Sweeteners and added sugars: Many flavored yogurts are loaded with sweeteners that turn them into ultra-processed desserts. Be on the lookout for cane sugar, corn syrup, honey, brown sugar and fruit juice concentrates.
• "Fake" sugars such as sucralose, stevia, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) and aspartame: Some companies advertise their flavored yogurts as containing "no added sugar." But in some cases that's because these ultra-processed yogurts contain artificial sweeteners or low- and no-calorie sweeteners instead of sugar. Studies suggest that some of these sugar substitutes can have unexpected effects on your gut and metabolic health. Beware of them, Devries said.
• Gelatin, corn starch, guar gum and tricalcium citrate: Ultra-processed yogurts often contain these additives to make them thicker, keep their ingredients from separating and to give them a creamy mouthfeel.
• Sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate: These preservatives are commonly used to lengthen the shelf life of ultra-processed yogurts.
Healthier options:
These yogurts are free of additives. Pick the fat content you prefer: The fat content of plain yogurt is determined by whether you use skim, low-fat or whole milk as your starting ingredient. It doesn't affect whether the yogurt is considered ultra-processed.
• Fage Total Plain Greek Yogurt.
• Chobani Greek Yogurt Plain.
• Target's Good & Gather Greek Plain Yogurt.
• Walmart's Great Value Greek Plain Yogurt.
• Stonyfield Organic Plain Greek Yogurt.
• Cold cuts
Cold cuts like sliced turkey, ham and salami are among the most popular lunch foods in America. But in many cases, they're ultra-processed.
The fresh sliced meat at the deli counter typically has the fewest ingredients. "Go to the deli counter and ask them which option is the most natural with the fewest additives so you can truly be a smart consumer," Springer said.
If you can, choose sliced turkey, chicken or roast beef. These tend to be less processed and have less sodium and fewer additives than mixed meats like salami and bologna. Ham, for example, is frequently made from various cuts of pork that have been mechanically separated, ground into a thick paste, and then molded and sliced.
Red flags:
• Thickeners, fillers and binders such as carrageenan, cellulose, maltodextrin and corn syrup solids: These additives are used in cold cuts to bind them, thicken them, enhance their flavors, retain their moisture and extend their shelf life.
Sodium nitrite or potassium nitrate: Look for meats that advertise low sodium and no added nitrates or nitrites. These preservatives have been linked to cancer.