Ultra-processed food: look beyond the packaging

A 2025 Nature Medicine trial randomized 55 UK adults to two eight-week diets meeting healthy eating guidance: minimally processed and ultra-processed. Both led to weight loss, with greater loss on the minimally processed diet. The crossover design let participants experience both diets. Its duration and population limit generalization, and whole diets—not individual additives—were tested. Original trial

Nova considers the nature and purpose of processing and ingredients. A wrapper or meal photo alone may not be enough to classify a food. Classification discussed in the paper The questions below are editorial shopping prompts, not a separately tested intervention.

1. How much will I eat? Check whether the label describes a serving or the whole pack, and compare products on the same quantity basis.
2. What is in it? Read protein and fibre alongside sugars, sodium and saturated fat; avoid judging by one number alone.
3. What role does it play? Is this the whole meal, or one part of a meal with other foods?

For a ready-made rice bowl, consider whether a vegetable side fits. If comparisons are difficult, collecting the labels is a useful first step.

Time, price and cooking facilities differ. Pick one regular convenience food and look for an alternative with similar cost and preparation time. A day without that alternative is not a failure.

Ask whether you understand one repeated choice better, rather than whether you avoided every ultra-processed food. A group average cannot predict the outcome of your individual meal.