Americans may believe less processed means healthier, but recent research shows convenience, cost and real-life constraints are keeping processed foods firmly on the plate – albeit in a more balanced role.
Consumers’ intention-behavior gap shows that while shoppers know they should eat healthier foods, convenience and cost drive them to favor processed foods, according to research from International Food Information Council (IFIC).
But is there a middle ground where processed foods and healthier options can satisfy nutrition goals, convenience and cost?
UPF confusion persists within a fragmented legislative and industry framework
While consumers are still uncertain about what defines an ultra-processed food, they believe those foods should be avoided, according to IFIC.
That uncertainty is fueled by other factors – including policy. While FDA has not released a formal definition of UPFs, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) issued a recommendation to avoid highly processed foods but stop short of a definition. A proposed bill in California would create a “California Certified” non-UPF seal based on California’s UPF definition.
Other organizations, like Non UPF Verified and mobile app Wisecode, offer voluntary seals for non-UPF products based on their respective definitions. But, the ambiguity between policy and industry could create more confusion for consumers.
Dietary Guidelines are helpful for UPF understanding – to a point
IFIC found that consumer awareness of the latest DGA recommendations is strong: within just three weeks of release, about half of Americans had heard about the new guidelines and the updated food pyramid. Among the messages that resonated most was one that’s increasingly shaping public discourse: limit highly processed foods.
When asked what single change would make the biggest difference to their diet, consumers pointed to two priorities: eating more fruits and vegetables and cutting back on highly processed foods.
But that’s where alignment starts to fracture, according to Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, IFIC’s president and CEO.
The belief is clear but the behavior isn’t
Americans largely subscribe to a simple rule: the more processed a food is, the less healthy it must be, IFIC found. At the same time, consumers recognize that not all processed foods are created equally. Many agree that some are healthier than others, even as they struggle to define exactly what that means in practice.
That ambiguity is where the gap between belief and behavior lies. While people say they believe processed foods are inherently less healthy, their behavior shows they are not eliminating them .
“It’s hard to know how healthy a processed food is,” Kapsak said, citing consumers’ uncertainty around nutrition guidance. Fewer consumers are convinced that processed foods can fit into a balanced diet or provide real nutritional value, IFIC’s findings suggest.
For brands, consumers’ uncertainty creates another layer of complexity in their positioning. But critics also argue that although a uniform definition could bring clarity to brands in the current fragmented UPF landscape, it risks disrupting formulation, supply chains, retail logistics and consumer access to affordable nutrition.
Why do consumers eat UPFs?
Roughly one in 10 Americans say it would be very easy to reduce their intake of highly processed foods, according to IFIC. Meanwhile, eight in 10 admit they eat less healthfully than they intend to at least some of the time.
While consumers are not ignoring the guidance, they are struggling to act on it, according to IFIC.
“We all have great intentions,” Kapsak says, “but then something gets in the way.”
IFIC’s research points to higher consumption of processed foods because they fit consumers’ daily time, money and energy constraints.
Consumers perceive healthy foods as less convenient, IFIC found.
Snacks and breakfasts, in particular, are often ready to eat or require five minutes or less to prepare, according to IFIC’s study. Lunch and dinner, traditionally more structured meals, are typically prepared in under 30 minutes.
As Kapsak noted, “time is a commodity” and consumers are carefully managing it.
Context changes everything
One of the most revealing insights in IFIC’s research is how consumers’ perceptions shift when processed foods are placed within a broader meal.
On their own, items like boxed pasta or tortilla chips score low on perceived healthfulness. But when paired with vegetables, protein or other nutrient-dense components, those same foods are viewed far more positively. For example, 23% of consumers viewed processed boxed pasta alone as healthy, while 36% view boxed pasta as healthy when paired with broccoli and chicken, according to IFIC.
The findings indicate that consumers are reassessing processed foods’ healthfulness when paired with other nutritious options – which also suggests that consumers’ perception of processed foods does not fall into a binary, but a spectrum.
Including some processed foods “does improve the overall healthfulness or balance of the meal … and it seems that it’s viewed as more healthy,” Kapsak emphasized.
What is the opportunity for processed foods?
For brands, processed foods are not being rejected outright, according to IFIC’s findings. But they are being scrutinized, contextualized and, in some cases, redefined. There is still a place for these products in consumers’ lives, but increasingly, that place is within a broader system with other nutritious foods.
These evolving expectations and behavior patterns show that:
- Products need to fit into meals that feel complete, not standalone
- Messaging needs to align with how consumers actually eat, not how they aspire to eat
- Convenience and cost must remain intact – as they are non-negotiable
- Nutrition cues (like macronutrients or added benefits) can meaningfully shift perception
As Kapsak framed it, behavior change doesn’t happen all at once: “Could we look at what consumers are already eating and think about opportunities?”
Not all processed foods are treated equally
IFIC found that consumers don’t think about processed foods in absolute terms. Rather, processed foods are considered on a spectrum.
Consumers perceive certain foods, like pizza, frozen meals and packaged snacks as highly processed and unhealthy. However, protein bars, energy bars and milk are widely perceived as processed, due to their perceived health benefits from macronutrient content.
At the other end of the spectrum are foods consumers view as closer to “real,” like plain yogurt, oatmeal, nuts and frozen vegetables (which are viewed as more processed than fresh), IFIC found.
As Kapsak noted, processing itself becomes “almost a proxy” for healthfulness, but not a perfectly consistent one.
