9 Foods That Might Seem Ultraprocessed—But Actually Aren’t

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Trying to cut down on ultraprocessed foods (UPFs)—or heavily industrialized food products—is clearly a worthy endeavor. An influx of recent studies has consistently linked eating these items with harmful outcomes (like heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes), putting their threat level on an upward trajectory. And yet, actually slashing them all from your diet can feel super limiting, given that an estimated 73% of the US food supply is UPFs. Not to mention, just buying fresh, whole, totally unprocessed foods would require you to cook every meal, which can be impractical. The good news is, there’s a middle ground: Plenty of foods you might think are UPFs are actually lesser-processed items that can play a big, health-boosting role in your diet.

It might seem like splitting hairs to distinguish ultraprocessed foods versus processed foods, but in fact, there’s a wide range of modification that food can undergo, and scientists think the differences are significant when it comes to health impacts. Most of the research linking UPFs, specifically, to bad outcomes uses a classification system called Nova to define them: Group 1 foods are the unprocessed or minimally processed items plucked straight from nature; group 2 foods are culinary ingredients like butter and salt mainly extracted from group 1 items; group 3 foods are processed ones that just involve combining the former two groups, sometimes with preservatives; and group 4 foods are the infamous ultraprocessed ones: industrial formulations largely unrecognizable from a natural source and infused with “cosmetic” additives to make them taste, smell, look, and feel extra-appealing. Examples include potato chips, chicken nuggets, instant noodles, packaged cookies, lunch meats, and sodas.

The research suggests something about group 4 UPFs is uniquely problematic, Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, a NYC-based registered dietitian, tells SELF. Part of it could be their often poor nutritional value—which is certainly a factor that can make any food, processed or not, less-than-healthy (more on that below). But another theory is that the additives separating these items from their less-modified-but-still-processed counterparts could be to blame, Cassetty says, pointing to research linking emulsifiers, colorants, and non-nutritive sweeteners to negative outcomes. (Not to mention, these chemicals amp up the palatability of UPFs, making it easy to overeat them.) Hence the potential upsides of choosing those easy-to-eat bagged, bottled, canned, frozen, or otherwise processed items that fall lower on the Nova scale—versus going for ones that would get the UPF stamp.

Still, it’s important to know that “ultraprocessed” doesn’t universally mean “unhealthy.”

Two things can be true: UPFs aren’t generally great to consume en masse. And, also, the amount of processing done to a food isn’t always an indication of its healthfulness, Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, a New York–based registered dietitian, certified dietitian nutritionist, and author of Health Shots, tells SELF. She points out, for example, that both protein powder and infant formula are UPFs, and each can play an integral role in a person’s diet. There’s also research to suggest that certain nutrient-dense types of UPFs may not carry the same risks associated with the full category, namely breads, cereals, flavored yogurts and dairy-based desserts, and savory snacks. So the title of UPF, alone, is not always a red flag.

And for much the same reason, lesser-processed foods don’t always equate to healthier options. Sure, they might not contain potentially detrimental additives, but they could still have a not-so-beneficial nutritional profile, Maya Vadiveloo, PhD, RD, a registered dietitian and nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Rhode Island, tells SELF. She uses tortilla chips as an example: They’re basically just corn, oil, and salt—so they’d qualify as a group 3 food—but that doesn’t mean you want to go ham on them, nutritionally speaking. Same goes for something like butter, which is a group 2 item, but which plenty of research has suggested is best to consume only in moderation.

All that said, tempering the role of UPFs in your life and choosing either unprocessed or less-processed foods when possible can still orient your diet in a more healthful direction overall. Read on to find a list of foods in the latter camp that registered dietitians wholeheartedly recommend.

9 foods that you may think are ultraprocessed but are typically lesser-processed—and full of health benefits

An important note: Some foods are clearly ultraprocessed based on their use of industrially derived food substances, like whey protein, soy protein isolate, mechanically separated meat, and high-fructose corn syrup. But a wide set of other foods would be deemed ultraprocessed only if the manufacturer juiced them up with cosmetic additives—and otherwise would just be processed. The tricky thing is, those particular chemicals aren’t always easy to parse from the preservatives used simply to extend shelf life or block the growth of microbes, Dr. Vadiveloo says. Generally, you want to check the label for “natural flavors” or “artificial flavors,” as well as dyes, items listed as emulsifiers or flavor enhancers, and non-nutritive sweeteners like aspartame or stevia.

The foods below usually don’t include any of these additives and are therefore not ultraprocessed—but manufacturers sometimes go rogue and stick these “boosters” in, so it wouldn’t hurt to flip over any specific product and check the label to be sure.

1. Canned beans

Typically speaking, plain canned beans (e.g., black, pinto, kidney, cannellini) are just the beans and a good deal of salt, added for flavor and preservation reasons. Meaning they’re minimally processed so long as you’re not going for any flavored, baked, or seasoned types, Cassetty says. She notes that they also have the same nutritional upsides as the dried varieties—plenty of fiber and protein. And if you’re worried about the additional sodium content, she suggests simply draining and rinsing them before you use them, which research shows can remove as much as 41% of the salt.

From there, you can pop them right into soups, salads, and stir-fries as is. Cassetty even suggests blending white beans into a smoothie or mashing them up with an avocado for a tasty spread. Looking for even more ideas? We’ve got easy ones for a can of black beans, white beans, or garbanzos.

2. Canned or pickled vegetables

Much like their bean counterparts, plain veggies in a can are usually little more than that—the vegetable in water or a light brine, a.k.a. salt—making them group 3 items. And bottled vegetables or pickles (which are made with vinegar) would fall in the same group, Amidor says.

Each of the above also counts toward your overall vegetable requirement (two to three cups per day), which, as both Cassetty and Amidor point out, only 10% of Americans are currently meeting. So that’s reason enough to stock up on these easy-to-use and budget-friendly items. “Plus, vegetables are often canned at the peak of freshness, which locks in their nutritional value,” Amidor says. Their fresh counterparts, by contrast, can actually lose key nutrients like vitamin C in the days after they’re harvested, while they sit in a store or your home. (If you’re worried about the salt in canned options, Cassetty recommends draining and rinsing them first like you might do for beans, which research shows can reduce sodium content by as much as 23%.)

It’s easy to layer pickles into sandwiches or add them to salads, and canned veggies are similarly versatile additions to soups, sauces, stews, and stir-fries, Cassetty says.

3. Frozen vegetables

Fun fact: These actually qualify as group 1 foods, provided they’re not in a sauce of any sort. They’re about as minimally processed an item as you can get—just the whole veggie itself frozen in water. And nutritionally speaking, they’re basically the same as the fresh version (and count toward your veggie requirement), making them a great alternative when you need something cheaper, easier to work with, or longer-lasting, Cassetty says. She adds that you can also cook with them in many of the same ways that you can with fresh vegetables—so go ahead and sauté, steam, stir-fry, or roast as you please. (Looking for specific ideas? Here are five easy dinner recipes to get you started.)

4. Canned or jarred fruit

Like canned veggies, canned fruits are generally processed-but-not-ultraprocessed foods that have many of the same health benefits as their fresh cousins, like, in this case, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C, Cassetty notes. And they count toward your overall fruit requirement (1.5 to two cups per day), while also being easier to digest than fresh options thanks to their soft texture, she adds.

Just be sure to choose an option that’s packed in water or 100% fruit juice, as opposed to a syrup, and is not artificially sweetened—otherwise, you risk teetering into UPF territory. Cassetty also recommends looking for products with no added sugar (which, in big quantities, is long-proven to up your risk for a bevy of metabolic conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes). She suggests piling canned fruits like peaches or grapefruit onto oatmeal or yogurt, or topping canned pears or mangos with a granola or nut mixture to make a faux crumble.

5. Tinned fish

A fresh new wave of tinned fish options has flooded the market in recent years to supplement the standby tuna (scallops! mackerel! squid!), much of them without any markers of ultraprocessing. Generally, these canned options are packed in water or oil with some salt and occasionally preservatives—which, as a reminder, can be used in group 3 items. Amidor emphasizes that they’re included at low levels, are nothing to be afraid of, and “just help increase shelf life and minimize pathogenic growth, so the food lasts longer.”

Cassetty gives “two thumbs up” to canned fish. (What you may want to avoid, she notes, are the packets of flavored fish like tuna that often contain artificial seasonings and thickening agents.) As both Amidor and Cassetty note, canned fish is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which may have an anti-inflammatory effect and support brain health. And some fattier types like salmon and mackerel are also rich in vitamin D, Cassetty says, which is hard to come by in food and can contribute to strong bones and a well-functioning immune system.

To put canned fish to use, you could dress it with mayo or a lemony vinaigrette and layer it on a sandwich. But if you want to switch it up, we’ve also got a boatload of other ideas.

6. Bread

A loaf of bread from a bakery or the baked good section of a grocery store that’s just made with flour, yeast, water, and salt is considered a group 3 food and therefore not ultraprocessed. And again, even preservatives can be added here without bumping it up to UPF status. But the tricky thing is, the vast majority of packaged breads in the supermarket aisle also contain cosmetic additives, like dough conditioners used for softness, emulsifiers to help keep texture uniform, and wheat gluten to add extra chew, Cassetty says. And all of these things would transform the bread into…something ultraprocessed.

In this particular case, however, all three experts said it’s not actually worth seeking out the freshly made option over the packaged one. Yes, you read that right. Nutritionally speaking, Dr. Vadiveloo is more concerned with folks hitting their whole-grain recommendation (making half of the total grains they eat whole ones), which most people are “not anywhere close to,” she says. And even a UPF whole-grain bread can help get you there, supplying fiber and key vitamins and minerals. It’s also worth reiterating that whole-grain bread is one of those UPFs that doesn’t show the same link with negative health outcomes as the full category—and may actually be associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

7. Cheese

Since cheese is generally made with a combo of a group 1 food (milk) and a group 2 item (salt) and is just processed via fermentation and heating, it doesn’t usually get the ultraprocessed stamp. The big exception is anything designated as an artificial cheese product (lookin’ at you, American cheese), as well as low-fat or otherwise altered versions (which tend to include cosmetic additives to help with texture and melting). You also want to check for gums and thickeners in container cheeses like cottage cheese and ricotta, Cassetty notes. And when it comes to hard cheeses, she adds, a simple trick to avoid UPFs is steering clear of sliced or shredded varieties, which tend to have anti-caking agents.

Both Cassetty and Amidor recommend these lesser-processed cheese options as a great source of protein, as well as calcium. It’s true that cheese also contains saturated fat—which is generally a less-healthy fat than its unsaturated counterpart—but Cassetty also notes that the type found in cheese may not pose a heart-disease risk like the kind present in red meat, according to a 2021 study. “For the most part, a little bit of cheese can be a very healthy addition to your diet,” she says.

8. Yogurt

Plenty of yogurts are not ultraprocessed despite being seemingly pretty far removed from nature. You can find lesser processed versions “that are just going to be the milk cultures, maybe a vitamin added, and either natural sugar from fruit or added cane sugar or honey,” Dr. Vadiveloo says, and there’s nothing ultraprocessed about that. Where things tend to get dicey is with the flavored yogurts marked as “low sugar” or “zero sugar.” Chances are, the manufacturer is substituting in a non-nutritive sweetener like sucralose or stevia to supply the sweetness that sugar would typically provide, Dr. Vadiveloo points out, all of which turn the final product into something ultraprocessed.

While yogurts that include only naturally occurring forms of sugar (again, from fruit, honey, or sugarcane) would all quality as group 3 foods, from a health standpoint, you still want to be cognizant of how much added sugar you’re getting; Dr. Vadiveloo recommends aiming for no more than 5 grams in a typical single-size container. An unflavored option will give you zero, but if you prefer a sweet taste and can’t find one that fits the bill, Cassetty suggests microwaving some frozen berries for 30 seconds, or just until the juices start oozing out, and then pouring that into plain yogurt. You get sweetness from a whole fruit that also contains vitamins, minerals, and fiber—versus straight sugar. Not to mention all the benefits of the yogurt, which contains probiotics (a.k.a. friendly bacteria) that can lend your gut a hand, as well as calcium and protein.

9. Dried fruits

Many kinds of dried fruits are just “fruit with the water sucked out of it,” Cassetty says. It might be coated in a bit of oil to keep it from sticking together, and it could also include certain preservatives to avoid spoiling, both of which would make it processed but not ultraprocessed. (What you want to look out for is any artificial dyes added to make it an extra-punchy color or otherwise alter its appearance, though, she notes.)

As with canned fruit and yogurt, in the case of dried fruit, added sugar could also turn it into a not-so-healthy choice, even if it wouldn’t necessarily make it a UPF—so keep an eye out for that. Otherwise, know that dried fruit will count toward your total fruit requirement and deliver mostly the same vitamins, minerals, and fiber as the fresh version, Cassetty says. She recommends sprinkling it onto salads and grain bowls or packing it as a travel snack, given it’s non-perishable and long-lasting.

However you choose to incorporate these processed items (or even ultraprocessed ones) into your diet, know that nutrition is “never about one thing,” Cassetty says. “It’s about context and what you would be eating instead.” So while a plain yogurt might be better for you than an artificially flavored one, the latter is still going to be healthier than, say, a chocolate bar. There’s a spectrum of foods out there, and we want to make the best choice possible, Cassetty says, but sometimes, that decision hinges not only on nutrition, but on factors like budget, accessibility, and cultural preference—which are all valid too.

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Originally Appeared on Self