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Two 2025 studies found the majority of calories consumed by U.S. residents comes from ultraprocessed foods.

From August 2021 to August 2023, the mean percentage of total calories consumed from ultraprocessed foods among people age 1 and older was 55%, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

Top sources included sandwiches, sweet bakery products, savory snacks and sweetened beverages.

Ultraprocessed foods typically are low in dietary fiber, contain little or no whole foods and have high amounts of additives like salt, sweeteners and unhealthy fats, the CDC said.

From 2003 to 2018, over 50% of the calories consumed by adults age 20 and up were from ultraprocessed foods, according to a study led by Johns Hopkins University researchers.

University of Wisconsin-Madison nutritional sciences professor Beth Olson recommends choosing foods lower in added sugars, sodium and saturated fats, and higher in dietary fiber and whole food ingredients.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

• National Center for Health Statistics Ultra-processed Food Consumption in Youth and Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023
• The Journal of Nutrition Trends in Adults’ Intake of Un-processed/Minimally Processed, and Ultra-processed foods at Home and Away from Home in the United States from 2003–2018
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Nutritional Sciences Ultra-Processed Foods
• Newswise It May Not Just Be What’s in Ultra-Processed Foods, But How They’re Made
• JAMA Trends in Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods Among US Youths Aged 2-19 Years, 1999-2018
• American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Ultra-processed food consumption among US adults from 2001 to 2018

Do over half of calories consumed by Americans come from ultraprocessed foods? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.