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Defining Ultraprocessed Foods: 5 Questions Answered
Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) have become a growing focus of public health research and policy due to an increasing body of evidence suggesting that diets high in UPFs are associated with poor health outcomes. Healthy Eating Research convened an expert panel to develop an evidence-informed recommended definition of UPFs. Here, we answer five frequently asked questions about UPFs, our report, and what it means for researchers, advocates, and policymakers.
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October 2026
Cross-Sectional Evaluation of WIC Participation Status and Massachusetts Children’s Nutrition after the Cash-Value Benefit Increase
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) increased the Cash-Value Benefit (CVB) for fruits and vegetables in 2021. Although WIC participants reported increased purchasing, consumption, and variety of fruits and vegetables after the CVB increase, it is unknown whether this resulted in higher fruit and vegetable intake relative to nonparticipants. The More
October 2026
An Electronic Health Record-Based Intervention to Facilitate Primary Care Referrals to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children: Retrospective Cohort Study
This study evaluated responses to an electronic health record (EHR)-embedded federal nutrition program (FNP) participation screening and WIC referral tool implemented within 8 clinics during well-child visits for children younger than 5 years of age. Structured EHR data from July 2020 to October 2023 were extracted to summarize screening, referral acceptance, WIC enrollment outcomes, and More
September 2026
Remote Services, Benefits, and Program Retention Changes Among Young Children in WIC
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) improves health for young children with low household incomes, but it is underutilized after infancy due to program complexity and lower perceived value of benefits for participants aged 1 to 4 years. Increasing participants’ retention in WIC could be an important strategy for improving More
September 2026
Increases to WIC’s Cash-Value Benefit for Fruits and Vegetables and Higher Benefit Redemption
The cash-value benefit (CVB) in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) supports low-income households with young children to purchase fruits and vegetables. Our objective was to estimate whether the amounts households spent with the CVB increased after recent policy changes. In this natural experiment from 2017 to 2022 among 485 560 More