Extremely processed foods dominate U. S. grocery purchases

Over the past few years I have tried to wean my family off of processed foods. 

As a rule, anything I a box or in packaging = processed foods. 

For most of us that is like 98% of what we eat on a daily basis. 

This modern diet crisis means that our bodies are not getting even the basic nutrition needed to function properly. 

One simple thing you can do is to make sure you are giving your body the 90 Essential Minerals, Vitamins and Nutritions by taking a Youngevity Start Pak.   This is the first step.  The second step is to slowly eliminate bad societal eating habits.

“Many Americans have actually strongly held opinions and beliefs about processed foods,” said Jennifer M. Poti, Ph.D., research study assistant teacher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and leader of the research team conducting this study. 

“Some consider processed foods to be yummy, convenient and affordable options while others contend that the mix of sugar, fat, salt and flavoring in these foods promotes overeating and contributes to weight problems. But previously, we didn’t actually have the evidence had to settle this argument: No previous studies have actually analyzed whether highly processed foods collectively have an even worse nutritional profile than minimally processed foods, utilizing nutrition info and ingredient lists certain for barcoded food and drink products.”.


From 2000 to 2012, the researchers asked 157,142 homes to utilize UPC barcode scanners to record all foods and beverages they bought from grocery stores for at least 1 year. Although products without barcodes were not consisted of, Poti explains that packaged fruit and vegetables such bagged lettuce or pints of berries can be scanned. Homes took part in the research for an average of four years and jointly bought 1.2 million items. The research group then linked each item to its nutrition details, item description and active ingredient list, allowing them to rank each item’s degree of food processing.

The researchers categorized items as extremely processed if they contained multi-ingredient, industrially created mixtures. They labeled foods such as soda, cookies, chips, white bread, sweet and prepared dishes as extremely processed foods and classified fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits, milk, eggs, dried beans and fresh meat as unprocessed or minimally processed. The investigators also analyzed convenience, comparing foods that prepare to consume, ready to heat or need cooking and/or prep work. Sweet and chips are examples of ready-to-eat foods, and frozen dishes are a ready-to-heat food.

“Overall, we discovered that not only are extremely processed foods a dominant, stable part of U.S. acquiring patterns, but likewise that the highly-processed foods that homes are purchasing are greater in fat, sugar, and salt, typically, compared with the less-processed foods that they purchase,” said Poti, who will certainly provide these findings at the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) Annual Meeting during Experimental Biology 2015. “The unshifting supremacy of ultra-processed and ready-to-eat foods as major calorie contributors to U.S. diet plan and their bad nutrient profile support the have to incentivize food manufacturers to enhance the dietary quality of their products.”.

The analysis disclosed that from 2000 to 2012, the proportion of calories in extremely processed food and drink purchases by U.S. families remained steady at 61.0 to 62.5 percent. The scientists noted a substantial boost in the proportion of calories bought in ready-to-heat foods, which reached 15.2 percent in 2012. More than 80 percent of calories were purchased in ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat type in 2012, and these tended to be higher in fat, sugar and salt than food purchases that needed preparation.

The researchers continue to track purchases to see how nutrition and level of processing might change gradually. They are likewise utilizing the data to examine whether acquiring routines vary based upon race or socio-economic status.

Poti said that she likewise hopes this research can lead to a more mindful use of the term processed food. “It is very important that when we discuss processed foods, we acknowledge that lots of processed foods, such as canned vegetables or whole-grain breakfast cereals, are necessary factors to nutrition and food security,” she said. “However, it is the highly processed foods– those with a comprehensive degree of processing– that may potentially be connected to obesity.”.

The above story is based on materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). Note: Materials may be modified for material and length.