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Over half of all daily calories consumed on average in the US now come from ultraprocessed foods, according to new data.
Researchers took data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to assess ultraprocessed food intake for the period from August 2021 to August 2023.
They found that among people aged 1 year and old, the average amount of daily calories consumed from ultraprocessed foods was 55%.
They also found that children aged 1 to 18 years consumed more calories from ultraprocessed food on average than adults aged 19 and over—61.9% versus 53%.
The average percentage of total calories consumed from ultraprocessed foods was lowest in the highest family income group among adults.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr has made ultraprocessed foods one of the main focuses of his Make American Healthy Again agenda, blaming growing consumption for the unprecedented rise in chronic diseases among Americans in recent decades.
If you want to know more about ultraprocessed foods, read our exclusive primer on them here. We tell you what ultraprocessed foods are, why they’re so bad for you, and how you can improve your health and the health of your loved ones by switching to a diet rich in whole and minimally processed foods.
