As I push my cart into my favorite grocery store, I stop and look at the shoppers — my neighbors — around me. Do they realize that nearly 70% of the food available to purchase for their families is ultraprocessed? And if they did, would they know how to avoid those foods?
I’ve been trying to answer that question for more than two years now, as part of my beat for the CNN Wellness team. Not only does my team report on the latest lifestyle news, we also provide expert-vetted guidance on how to improve your health — we like to say it’s “news you can use.”
Yet after reading countless studies, talking to dozens of experts and exploring all sorts of trendy apps, I still can’t help you reliably avoid ultraprocessed foods, also known as UPFs.
Come with me to the snack aisle, and I’ll explain why.
As I pass by all the colorfully packaged candies, cookies and chips, my stomach starts to rumble with anticipation. Typically made of refined grains and overflowing with sugar, salt and fat, these products — which we used to call “junk foods” — are calorie-laden, nutritionally bad for us, and deliciously addictive.
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