Some believe that humans owe our “humanity” to cooking. The simple act of breaking bread together, processing, cooking, and sharing foods, revolutionized the way that the human species developed into a community-driven species. Creating and sharing meals helped facilitate our transition into the most dominant species on earth.
To create meals, we first have to grow or gather our food. Then, we process it. We wash, skin, blanch, salt, freeze, can, and ferment foods to increase palatability, nutritional value, and shelf life. In this process, we create the building blocks for complete and delicious meals. And finally, we cook! By cooking foods (combining ingredients, heating them up, etc.), we break down tough plant fibers, alter protein structures, and increase the absorption of nutrients and calories.
Growing, processing, and cooking have been a staple in our sociocultural development since the beginning of humankind. But over time, especially in the last century, new technologies have come to redefine what we grow, how we process, and the role of cooking itself. With the rise of industrialization, the early 1900s ushered in a new era: the era of ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
Originating not from a farm or a garden, ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are created in a lab and intentionally engineered to maximize sensory appeal and hyper-palatability using artificial additives. These foods are skillfully crafted to provide a delicious yet unsatisfying eating experience that leaves the eater hungry–literally and physically–for more. Made mostly from mass-grown corn, wheat, and soy, UPFs have drastically changed our farming landscape to one focused not on biodiversity and regenerative land-use, but instead on the maximization of yield and monocropping. These highly processed foods, chalk-full of stabilizers and additives, have an exceedingly long shelf life and, perhaps most concerningly, the rise of UPFs have (purposefully) overtaken home and scratch-cooking across the globe.
UPFs are ubiquitous in our modern society. They line the shelves of almost any grocery-store checkout aisle and advertisements for chips, sodas, and fast food are relentless. Without a doubt, ultra-processed foods have become the backbone of both global and national eating patterns. Data reveals that, on average, Americans receive a whopping 57.9% of their energy intake from ultra-processed foods. At the same time, consumption of whole foods has been decreasing with most recent data revealing that only 27.4% of calories come from whole foods.
And needless to say, the nutritional profile of UPFs raises serious concerns about their impact on our health. UPFs are typically nutrient-poor but calorie-dense: lacking in essential micronutrients but higher in saturated fats, salt, and sugar.
Interestingly, recent research has shown that individuals consuming diets higher in UPFs tend to gain more weight compared to those consuming non-UPFs, even when caloric intake is matched! There are a few proposed hypotheses for these findings. The first is that the hyper-palatability of UPFs can lead to faster eating and overconsumption before satiety signals kick in. The second is that the reduced water content in UPFs can also contribute to higher consumption (compare how many grapes vs. raisins you can eat). Thirdly, the composition of UPFs may affect the gut microbiome, potentially influencing food absorption and energy balance. And finally, UPFs typically contain a lower percentage of protein per calorie. As humans have a surprisingly stable gauge for daily protein (meaning we eat roughly the same amount of protein day-to-day), individuals may consume more calories to meet their protein requirements.
It’s no surprise, then, that reducing the consumption of UPFs can yield significant health benefits. Numerous studies have demonstrated a associations between lower UPF consumption and better health outcomes. Even work from researchers at our center has shown a relationship between lower UPF and higher quality of life. Conversely, poor diet quality and high UPF intake have been linked to a higher incidence of chronic diseases and obesity.
But in an ever-growing and complicated foodscape, picking out ultra-processed foods can feel tricky. And even more complex is the distinction between ultra-processed foods and processed foods. The key difference lies in the purpose and extent of processing. Most foods require some type of processing, like chopping, peeling, or even cooking! But these less processed foods are made of mostly whole foods that have undergone minor chemical or physical changes. Ultraprocessed foods contain ingredients rarely found in the home or restaurant kitchens. These are chemically engineered to hijack our sensory receptors and create patterns of cravings. Processed foods may help make cooking easier, ultra-processed foods typically replace cooking entirely.
In our UPF-saturated foodscape, it’s no wonder that young eaters struggle to consume enough whole foods. One key way to highlight the importance of consuming a diet rich in whole foods is through scratch-cooking in schools. Teaching and demonstrating scratch-cooking, particularly among school-aged children still developing their taste preferences, can serve as a covert form of nutrition education while also helping to build valuable skills in food preparation and kitchen literacy. And, as children are disproportionately targeted by Big Food advertisements, early childhood food savviness is imperative. By shifting the focus from food products to whole-food-based meals, we can help young people develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for food and its connection to both personal and environmental health.
In seeking more minimally processed, whole-food-based options, we can make informed choices that contribute to a healthier future. It also means reprogramming our palates to be in touch with real food. Empowering individuals, especially children, to understand the detrimental effects of excessive ultra-processed food consumption and how to identify high quality calories, is paramount. By opting out of ultra-processed foods and embracing the nourishing power of whole foods, we can begin to build the foundation for a healthier, more nourishing future for generations to come.