More than half of U.S. caloric intake comes from processed foods
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American adults and kids over age 1 got more than half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods like hamburgers, pizza and sweetened drinks between 2021 and 2023, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why it matters: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made cleaning up the U.S. diet a priority, though critics say he's mostly extracted pledges from companies to swap out single ingredients, which won't make much difference in health.
The big picture: The CDC said that ultra-processed food consumption actually declined from 2017 to 2023 for all age groups.
- But it still made up an average of 62% of kids' calories and 53% of adults' in the latest study period.
- Adults over age 60 had the least ultra-processed food intake, while youths age 6 to 11 had the most — almost 65%.
Zoom in: The share of calories from ultra-processed foods didn't vary significantly by income level.
- But adults with incomes of 350% of the federal poverty level or higher consumed about half of their calories from ultra-processed foods — about 5% fewer than their lower-income peers.
- Ultra-processed foods tend to be cheaper than fresh or minimally produced items.
Sandwiches including burgers were the top contributor of ultra-processed calories for kids and adults, making up 7.6% and 8.6% of intake in the category, respectively.
- 6.3% of kids' and 5.2% of adults' ultra-processed calories came from sweet bakery products.
- Sweetened drinks, savory snacks, pizza and breads were also drivers of ultra-processed caloric intake.
What we're watching: Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture are trying to establish a standard definition of ultra-processed foods, noting that about 70% of packaged products in the U.S. are often considered in that category.
Go deeper: Your brain on junk food: New research shows it's not just harming your body
