The Healthier Eating Challenge: Why You Crave Ultra-Processed Foods

This is the second day of the 5-day well eating challenge. To start over, click here.

I’m a member of Generation X, so ultra-processed foods have been a staple of my diet since childhood. I grew up on bowls of cereal, macaroni and cheese, and instant ramen. I still want them.

And that’s by design, said Ashley Gearhardt, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan. Dr. Gearhardt tests suggests that some UPF ingredients, such as added fats and sugars, may activate the brain’s reward centers in a way similar to those used in addictive substances like alcohol and nicotine.

“The more you have, the more you want,” she said.

So it is logical that we prefer them to less processed foods. But when you stop to think about how different some seem to be from their whole grain counterparts, the temptation lessens a bit. However, many of us do not pay much attention to it.

“Most UPF is not intended for conscious consumption,” said Arielle Johnson, a taste researcher and author of “Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor.” AND small study from 2019 people on a whole grain and highly processed diet were monitored. When they were on the UPF diet, subjects ate more – an average of 500 extra calories per day – and ate their food faster.

If you’re like me and can’t resist ultra-processed foods, today’s challenge may lend a hand reduce their appeal.

Well Challenge Day 2: Are ultra-processed foods really that delicious?

Head to your kitchen for ultra-processed foods and their less-processed counterparts. If you have cheese puffs or cheese-flavored chips, pair them with a piece of real cheese; place a peanut butter energy bar next to a handful of peanuts; place a cup of honey and oatmeal cereal next to the cooked oatmeal and honey.

Check your UPF carefully: Once you have both products, check your product. What does it look like? Can you tell what it’s made of? Does its color match something in nature? Does it have its own unique consistency? Paying attention to these details helped me see the less appetizing aspects of a few beloved UPFs.

Some UPFs are very cushioned, making them easier to chew and swallow in vast quantities, as one study suggested. Others are dehydrated so they can stay on shelves longer and prevent microbes from growing there, said Chris van Tulleken, associate professor of infection and immunity at University College London and author of “Ultra-Processed People.”

Now take a bite and notice how it sounds. Sometimes the noticeable texture distracts from what’s missing in flavor, says Dr. van Tulleken. Other times, he added, ultra-processed foods may initially crackle or crunch but quickly turn to powder.

Sniff: Can you recognize the aroma? Name what you feel. Free collaborator.

Dr. Johnson explained that the biggest impact on the taste of food is its smell. The product’s scent can be very lackluster, she said, because industrially processed ingredients can change the chemical complexity, resulting in a more pronounced aroma.

Compare your UPF to whole foods: Taste your UPF again, noting any scents and flavors that come to mind. Then do the same with its less processed or unprocessed counterpart.

Dr. Johnson and I made this with Dannon Featherlight + Fit Raspberry Yogurt, UPF and plain yogurt with raspberry jam drizzled on top. Dr. Johnson opened Featherlight + Fit and smelled it: “It smells like raspberry candy,” she said.

She ate a spoonful of Dannon yogurt and found it had a sweet taste and a lackluster fruity aftertaste. Then she smelled plain yogurt, recognizing notes of butter, cream, cheese and “a mildly fruity, slightly green flavor, like an unripe green apple.”

In the case of raspberry jam, Dr. Johnson noticed a “deep smell of cooked fruit.” When she ate it, she mused like a sommelier: “It’s just nicely round and wealthy,” she said.

Dr. Johnson took another bite of Featherlight + Fit and found that this time it tasted even more like candy. Eating something less processed can make the UPF taste more artificial, she said, because the UPF flavor “is usually a simplified version of whole foods.”

We spent an hour comparing a dozen other UPFs to less processed foods. Each of them made me realize the huge difference between them and made me stop and consider the alternatives before reaching for UPF.

At the end of the hour, when our strange picnic was over, I packed up my makeshift UPF charcuterie board and headed home to grab an antacid.