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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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August 2026
Understanding Ultra-processed Foods
Most foods we eat undergo some form of processing, but some foods are more heavily processed than others. This resource explains what ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are, how they differ from other types of processed foods, and what research says about their potential health impacts. It also offers practical tips to help people identify UPFs and More
July 2026
“It’s just not worth it anymore”: A Mixed Methods Study Examining the Impact of Reinstating Reimbursement Tiers in the Child and Adult Care Food Program
This study aimed to assess impacts of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reinstatement of tiered reimbursements among family child care home (FCCH) providers, sponsors, and families in California. Irrespective of tier, surveyed providers reported that the reinstated, tiered reimbursements were insufficient (92.4%), resulting in reduced food variety (39.1%) and quality (14.8%), and More
July 2026
Forecasting WIC Funding Needs: Supporting Families, Strengthening Access
In partnership with Westat and with support from Healthy Eating Research, the National WIC Association (NWA) developed a new forecasting model to project funding needs of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) for Fiscal Year 2027. Report This report describes the model development, including methodology, as well as analysis conducted More
May 2026
SNAP participation and the healthfulness of food purchased by households with children during the pandemic
Changes in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic included emergency benefit allotments and operation waivers. Using five expenditure-based measures of the nutritional quality of food purchases, we tested whether changes in SNAP during the first year of the pandemic were associated with better nutritional quality of food purchases More