Close your eyes and imagine a shopping cart full of ultra-processed foods.
Yes, it probably includes items like potato chips and hot dogs. However, ultra-processed foods are a broad category that also includes foods associated with a nutritious diet, such as many whole-grain breads, breakfast cereals, and flavored yogurts. This can confuse their perception.
Ultra-processed foods are generally defined as foods or beverages made with ingredients not normally found in home kitchens. These include artificial flavors, synthetic food colors, hydrogenated oils, and emulsifiers that help blend ingredients that don’t normally mix (such as oil and water).
About 58% of Americans’ diet Super processed. And scientists have discovered a link between ultra-processed foods and a host of health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
So are ultra-processed foods worth cutting out from your diet? Let us help you figure it out.
On January 6, 2025, we begin a week of science-based tips to help you understand more about ultra-processed foods. What are they? How can I identify them? What small changes can I make to my diet to improve my health?
This week’s challenge isn’t about overhauling your diet. Packed with fun and enlightening experiments to help you learn more about ultra-processed foods and our relationship with them. There are also tastings, recipes, trips to the grocery store, and other surprises.
Well columnist Jancy Dunn will be your guide. Also with us is nutrition reporter Alice Callahan, who covers a wide range of ultra-processed foods. We also speak to a variety of experts in nutrition and food science.
I hope you end the week feeling more competent and confident in your food choices. Start a healthier year by adopting some new habits.
How to get started
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What you get:
Get an email in your inbox every morning from January 6th to January 10th. Once the challenge is over, you’ll receive a Well newsletter every Thursday featuring guidance on how to live your healthiest life.
If you already receive the Well newsletter, you will automatically receive the challenge and will not see a way to sign up below. you can Check out the newsletters you’re subscribed to here.
