The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 state that a healthy dietary pattern includes a variety of foods and beverages across food groups, with limits on added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. The guidelines also say that healthy dietary patterns can include nutrient-dense foods in amounts that fit calorie needs and preferences.

USDA researchers reported that it is possible to build a healthy diet with 91% of calories coming from ultra-processed foods while still following the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The agency said the menu "scored 86 of 100 points on the Healthy Eating Index-2015" and that this study was a "proof-of-concept" showing that using ultra-processed foods can be an option in a balanced diet.

The Dietary Guidelines emphasize that healthy eating patterns are customized to a person's calorie needs, preferences, and cultural traditions, and they can include many different foods as long as overall intake supports health. The guidance stresses limiting added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium rather than excluding whole categories of foods.

This umbrella review identified 39 meta-analyses on the associations between UPF consumption and health outcomes. We updated all meta-analyses by including 122 individual articles on 49 unique health outcomes. We identified 25 health outcomes associated with UPF consumption. For observational studies, 2 health outcomes, including renal function decline (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.33) and wheezing in children and adolescents (OR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.34, 1.49), showed convincing evidence (Class I); and five outcomes were reported with highly suggestive evidence (Class II), including diabetes mellitus, overweight, obesity, depression, and common mental disorders. Conclusions: High UPF consumption is associated with an increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases and mental health disorders. At present, not a single study reported an association between UPF intake and a beneficial health outcome. These findings suggest that dietary patterns with low consumption of UPFs may render broad public health benefits.

FDA's 'healthy' nutrient content claim framework focuses on foods that contribute meaningful amounts of food groups and limits saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. The rule is about how foods fit into an overall healthy diet, not a list of foods that must be avoided entirely.

This umbrella review concluded that "high UPF consumption is associated with an increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases and mental health disorders." It is relevant as a counterweight because it summarizes the broader literature showing that higher UPF intake is generally linked with worse health outcomes.

Healthy dietary patterns are built from a range of foods from all food groups and can accommodate many commercially available foods when portions and overall nutrient balance are appropriate. The key public-health guidance is to limit foods high in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, rather than to treat all processed or commercially produced foods as inherently unhealthy.

The article states that "current evidence shows that diets high in UPFs are associated with a higher risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and overall mortality." It also says that avoiding UPFs completely is "often neither realistic nor necessary" and that nutrition guidance should prioritize "meaningful, sustainable improvements in diet quality."

Dietary guidance commonly recommends that discretionary foods be consumed occasionally and in small amounts. The Australian Dietary Guidelines explicitly distinguish discretionary foods from the five food groups and say they can still be eaten in occasional, small amounts by people in their normal weight range.

Ultra-processed foods tend to be hyperpalatable, energy-dense, low in dietary fiber, and contain little or no whole foods, while having high amounts of salt, sweeteners, and unhealthy fats (1). Ultra-processed food consumption has been associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality (2). During August 2021–August 2023, the mean percentage of total calories consumed from ultra-processed foods among those age 1 year and older was 55.0%. During August 2021–August 2023, youth consumed 61.9% of their daily calories, on average, from ultra-processed foods, while adults consumed 53.0% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods.

This umbrella review synthesizes evidence from 15 meta-analyses and 11 systematic reviews. The main findings reveal that a high amount of consumption of these foods is significantly associated with an increased risk of at least 44 different human health effects, including noncommunicable diseases, such as overweight, obesity, and metabolic syndrome, and other health conditions. Consuming UPFs is linked to higher rates of overweight, obesity, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome, which can negatively affect a person's health. A higher risk of all-cause mortality; type 2 diabetes mellitus; mental and sleep disorders; cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and digestive diseases; as well as all types of cancer in both sexes was found for adults, including colorectal and prostate cancer in men, and breast cancer in women. Conclusions: UPF consumption is mainly associated with considerable health outcomes, particularly a higher risk of chronic noncommunicable diseases, all-cause mortality, and mental disorders.

The NHS Eatwell Guide explains that to have a healthy, balanced diet people should eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, base meals on higher‑fibre starchy foods, have some dairy or dairy alternatives, and eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein. It advises that foods high in fat such as oils and spreads "do still contain high levels of fat, so eat them in moderation" and reminds that "all types of fat are high in energy and should be eaten in small amounts."

The American Heart Association says that "some ultraprocessed foods have higher nutritional value and are OK as part of an overall healthy diet." It gives examples including "whole-grain breads, low-sugar yogurt and nut spreads," while emphasizing that most ultraprocessed foods are high in saturated fat, added sugars and salt and should be limited.

Consuming high amounts of ultraprocessed food has been linked to chronic health conditions—cardiovascular disease, obesity, colorectal cancer, among others. Recent umbrella reviews and meta-analyses show that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is consistently associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases, some cancers, mental health disorders, and all-cause mortality, independent of traditional nutrients. A 2024 umbrella review updated 39 meta-analyses of observational studies and reported that high consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with at least 25 adverse health outcomes, with convincing evidence for renal function decline and wheezing in children and adolescents, and highly suggestive evidence for diabetes, overweight, obesity, depression, and common mental disorders.

A review on defining a healthy diet describes healthy dietary patterns as those "rich in health-promoting foods, including plant-based foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, antioxidants, soya, nuts, and sources of omega-3 fatty acids" and "low in saturated fats and trans fats, animal-derived proteins, and added/refined sugars." It notes that the MIND diet emphasizes foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil, and wine in moderation, reflecting that some items (e.g. alcohol) can be included only in limited amounts within an overall healthy pattern.

This review notes that population studies show ultra-processed foods are typically "high-energy-dense products, high in sugar, unhealthy fats and salt, and low in dietary fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals." It also states that increasing the dietary share of ultra-processed foods is associated with deterioration of overall diet quality and with obesity, hypertension, coronary and cerebrovascular diseases, dyslipidaemia, metabolic syndrome and some cancers.

Of 43 studies reviewed, 37 found dietary UPF exposure associated with at least one adverse health outcome. Among adults, these included overweight, obesity and cardio-metabolic risks; cancer, type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; irritable bowel syndrome, depression and frailty conditions; and all-cause mortality. Among children and adolescents, these included cardio-metabolic risks and asthma. Exposure to UPF was found to be associated with population BMI trajectories, overweight and obesity prevalence as well as individual BMI, overweight including obesity (BMI ≥ 25), overweight excluding obesity (BMI 25–30), obesity, weight gain, abdominal obesity, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, overall cancers, breast cancer, frailty, IBS, depression and mortality. The diets were controlled for presented calories, energy density, macronutrients, sugar, sodium and fibre, providing causal evidence that something other than risk nutrients in UPFs causes energy intake and weight gain, and an increase in body fat with the consumption of a diet higher in UPFs.

Harvard’s Healthy Eating Plate advises that roughly half the plate be fruits and vegetables, a quarter whole grains, and a quarter healthy protein, with healthy plant oils used "in moderation." It explicitly recommends to "skip sugary drinks, limit milk and dairy products to one to two servings per day, and limit juice to a small glass per day," implying that some commonly consumed commercial beverages should be minimized rather than freely included in a healthy pattern.

Eating more ultra-processed foods is linked to a higher risk of health problems, according to an umbrella review of 45 previous meta-analyses, involving almost 10 million people in total. The research, published in The BMJ, finds direct associations between exposure to ultra-processed foods and 32 health parameters. The strongest available evidence has been found for associations between increased consumption of ultra-processed foods and all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease-related mortality, mental disorders, overweight and obesity, and type 2 diabetes. In particular, relative risk levels for various pathologies have been observed to be around 30% and can be as high as 55% for obesity. The results of the latest systematic review on the subject conclude that consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with poorer health outcomes, especially increased risk of mortality, metabolic and mental illness. The BMJ article indicates that there is very strong evidence that consumption of these foods increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and mental health problems.

The 2020-2025 dietary guidelines say the three healthy eating patterns are adaptable to cultural and personal preferences and emphasize balance, moderation, and variety. They also include dairy in all three patterns, showing that a food can be included in a healthy pattern when consumed in recommended amounts.

These findings show that UPF consumption is associated with higher risk of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity. Across included studies, higher intake of ultra-processed foods was consistently linked with adverse cardiometabolic profiles compared with lower intake. The systematic review summarised observational evidence that greater consumption of ultra-processed foods is related to increased prevalence of noncommunicable chronic diseases and risk factors, even after adjustment for total energy intake and other dietary components. No studies in this review reported beneficial health effects associated with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Ultraprocessed food consumption is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in participants with type 2 diabetes independent of diet quality. In analyses that adjusted for overall diet quality scores and other confounders, higher intake of ultraprocessed foods remained significantly associated with increased risks of death from any cause and from cardiovascular causes. These results suggest that ultraprocessed food consumption may exert harmful effects beyond its contribution to poor diet quality, and that reducing ultraprocessed food intake could be beneficial even among people whose overall dietary patterns otherwise meet conventional quality criteria. No protective association was observed between higher consumption of ultraprocessed foods and mortality outcomes in this cohort.

The Yale information sheet says "No" to the blanket idea that all ultra-processed foods are unhealthy: some processed foods such as dried fruit and cut vegetables are healthy, and some ultra-processed foods such as whole-grain breads and yogurts are associated with reduced risks of chronic diseases. It also recommends choosing lower-sodium, lower-saturated-fat, and lower-added-sugar options when only ultra-processed foods are available.

In this 3-week crossover study in 43 men, consuming a diet of mostly ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) led to increased body weight, body fat, and markers of inflammation compared to a diet emphasizing minimally processed foods, despite the diets being matched for calories, macronutrients, sugar, sodium, and fiber. The study provides evidence that ultraprocessed foods can adversely impact health independent of traditional nutrient composition, likely through factors such as hyperpalatability, eating rate, food structure, and additives. Participants consumed more calories per day and gained more weight during the ultraprocessed-food phase than during the minimally processed-food phase, even though they were offered isocaloric menus.

HealthCentral, summarizing the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines, describes a balanced diet as eating a variety of foods from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein, and dairy "while limiting added sugars, sodium, saturated fats, and ultra-processed foods." It emphasizes that a balanced diet means focusing on whole, minimally processed foods and that both the Dietary Guidelines and WHO agree on limiting ultra‑processed foods rather than considering all commercially available foods equally suitable.

This report says it presents "an evidence-informed recommended definition of UPFs" and policy recommendations. It is useful background because it reflects the ongoing effort to standardize how ultra-processed foods are defined, which affects how the evidence on their health effects is interpreted.

The new Dietary Guidelines affirm dairy's central role in a healthy diet and recommend consumption of dairy products at all healthy-fat levels. The article quotes industry leaders describing dairy foods as part of a healthy diet and notes the guidelines provide greater flexibility in choosing dairy foods.

Washington University Public Health Sciences discusses healthy eating as "balance and moderation" and notes that diets that are too restrictive are likely to fail, but also advises to "keep to a minimum red meat, especially processed meat like ham, bacon, and salami" and to "cut down on 'bad' fats (trans and saturated fat)." This indicates that some commercially available foods, such as processed meats and foods high in trans fat, should be minimized even within a moderate, balanced eating pattern.

The review says that "The results have been highly publicized and widely communicated, often in ways that suggest that ultraprocessing is inherently harmful to health." It is relevant because it highlights that the interpretation of ultra-processed food evidence is debated, even as much of the literature links higher intake to poorer outcomes.

MyCHN explains that a balanced diet provides necessary nutrients from five food groups—fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein—but cautions that "foods that are highly processed are foods you will want to eat in moderation." It defines heavily processed foods as those with five or more ingredients and high in sugars, oils, fats, salt, antioxidants, stabilizers, and preservatives, and notes that experts "recommend limiting the amount of highly processed foods" because they "have high amounts of added salt and little to no nutritional value" and "can also contribute to disease and inflammation."

The British Heart Foundation article "Why there's no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' foods" states that "‘Everything in moderation’ is a well-used phrase" and that "there are no foods you have to completely cut out," but clarifies that "it’s true that we need more of some food groups than others" and that some foods are a "non-essential part of the diet" that "don’t need to be included as part of our regular eating pattern." It advises focusing on a balanced diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, fish and unsaturated oils, implying that certain discretionary foods should be occasional rather than routinely included.

The review of the Australian Dietary Guidelines explains that substitution of discretionary choices with core foods and beverages may optimize nutritional impact, and that moderation reduces frequency or portion size of discretionary choices and directly lowers energy, saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium intake. This supports the idea that many foods can be incorporated into an otherwise healthy diet if eaten in moderation.

The guidelines say healthy dietary patterns are associated with beneficial outcomes and include low-fat and fat-free dairy, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods. They also note that some foods should be limited, which implies inclusion depends on overall pattern and amount rather than total exclusion of every commercially available food.

The current Dietary Guidelines recognize dairy foods as included in all three healthy eating patterns linked to reduced risk of chronic diseases. The page also states that modest amounts of added sugars can improve palatability and consumption of nutrient-dense foods such as milk and yogurt.

The article argues that "ultra-processed foods are intrinsically unhealthy" and that their manufacture and displacement of unprocessed foods make them unhealthy. This represents a strongly skeptical view in the literature and is included because it illustrates that there is not full agreement on whether any ultra-processed foods can fit comfortably into a healthy diet.

The SWEET Institute article on nourishment in moderation discusses "the importance of not eating more than you need" and frames moderation as avoiding excess energy intake, which can lead to negative health outcomes. It emphasizes that moderation is about quantity and overall pattern, not a guarantee that all types of food are equally suitable for a healthy diet, as overconsumption of energy-dense foods can still be harmful even if total calories are kept in check only intermittently.

A registered dietitian in the video "Eating Healthy: What Does 'Everything in Moderation' Mean?" explains that a healthy diet is about "consistency over time" and balancing "fun foods" with "fuel foods." The discussion acknowledges that "it's okay to have all things" but within an overall pattern that emphasizes nutrient-dense foods, indicating that moderation allows inclusion of less healthy items occasionally but does not imply that nearly all modern commercial foods are equally healthful components of a normocaloric, well‑balanced diet.