Americans Get 55% of Their Calories From Ultraprocessed Foods

People over the age of 1 year get about 55% of their daily calories from ultraprocessed foods, according to a newly released report from National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control.

“This means that more than half of their calories came from foods and beverages that are often high in sodium, high-fructose corn syrup or unhealthy fats,” the CDC summary says.

While there is no official or accepted definition of what is an ultraprocessed food (UPF), the CDC summary says UPFs are “high in calories and often lack important nutrients and fiber. They often contain little to no whole foods and are characterized using ingredients typically not found in home kitchens. These ingredients are based on forms of fats, sugar, salt, and other food components that prolong shelf-life and increase palatability and convenience.”

The report does footnote the widely cited Nova classification system, which categorizes foods by processing, from unprocessed to ultra-processed foods. The four Nova groups are: unprocessed or minimally processed foods; processed culinary ingredients; processed foods with just two or three added ingredients, such as salt, oil or sugar; and ultraprocessed foods, which consist of industrial formulations of processed foods that typically contain unnatural additives, such as colorings or emulsifiers.

“Eating a lot of these foods has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease and other serious health problems,” the CDC report says. The information in the report comes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that was conducted from August 2021 to August 2023.

Young people ages 1-18 ate and drank even more ultraprocessed foods, with 61.9% of their calories coming from these types of foods. In comparison, adults aged 19 and older got 53% of their calories from UPFs.

Among adults, the mean percentage of total calories consumed from ultraprocessed foods was lowest in the highest family income group.

The most common UPFs consumed by children and adults included sandwiches (including burgers), sweet baked goods (such as cookies and cakes), salty snacks (such as chips) and sugary drinks (such as soda).

The CDC summary ended with the recommendation from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that people eat a variety of whole foods, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and cut back on foods that have added sugars.