- Bread
- Cheese crackers
- Diet soda
- Hot dogs
- Carrots
Correct answer:
Processed foods:
- Bread
Ultra-processed foods:
- Cheese crackers
- Diet soda
- Hot dogs
What you should know:
According to NOVA, a system used in many countries that defines three levels of processing for all kinds of foods:
Processed foods are “foods made by adding fats, oils, sugars, salt, and other cooking ingredients to minimally processed foods to make them more durable and usually more palatable, and by various methods of preservation.”
Ultra-processed foods are “not…formulations of industrial ingredients and other substances derived from foods, plus additives. They mostly contain little if any intact actual food. The purpose of ultra-processing is to create products that are convenient, attractive, and profitable.”
Deciding what’s right for you:
It’s worth noticing that the purpose of ultra-processing foods is not to create products that are nutritious.
Your food choices are yours, but the NOVA system can help you understand what you’re getting into—or, rather, what’s getting into you.
