Sandwich cookies, chips, soda, instant noodles, nuggets and many "ready snacks" are ultra-processed: industrial products made of refined ingredients, additives and very little real food.
What one study showed
In a careful experiment, volunteers spent two weeks on an ultra-processed diet and two weeks on a minimally processed diet. The meals offered the same calories, sugar, fat and fiber, and everyone ate as much as they wanted. On ultra-processed food, people ate about 500 kcal more per day and gained weight. On real food, they lost weight.
Why this happens
- They're quick and easy to eat: less chewing, less time for fullness to kick in.
- They pack a lot of calories into little volume.
- They combine sugar, fat and salt in a way that makes you want to keep going.
How to cut back without going extreme
- Swap one item a week: the snack cookies for fruit and yogurt, the instant noodles for scrambled eggs and toast.
- Build the base of your plate with real food and leave packaged food as the exception.
- Don't bring home what you know you can't stop eating.
You don't have to cut it out completely. Every swap from ultra-processed to real food makes your budget easier to hit.
Sources
- Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: an inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake. Cell Metabolism. 2019;30(1):67-77.
This content is for information only and doesn't replace advice from a doctor or dietitian.
