KIDS, WORK AND SCHOOL AND GRABBING PACKAGED SNACKS AND MEALS AS A QUICK AND CONVENIENT WAY TO FEED THE FAMILY. BUT THAT COMES AT A COST. MANY OF THESE FOODS ARE ULTRA PROCESSED, AND EATING TOO MANY CAN BE BAD FOR OUR HEALTH, ACCORDING TO HEALTH OFFICIALS AND IN TODAY’S CONSUMER REPORTS. ANDREA FLORES EXPLAINS. FINDING EASY, HEALTHIER OPTIONS TO PUT A MEAL ON THE TABLE IN MINUTES ISN’T AS COMPLICATED AS IT MAY SEEM. JULIANA CABRERA MAKES SIMPLE, HEALTHY MEALS AT HOME, BUT SHE KEEPS PRE-MADE FOOD HANDY FOR THOSE TIMES WHEN SHE NEEDS A LITTLE MORE COMFORT. FOODS THAT I’M TIED TO NOSTALGIA, RIGHT? BECAUSE OF WHERE I GREW UP. OFTENTIMES CHEESE STICKS. SO IT’S LIKE ROLLED UP DOUGH FILLED WITH CHEESE OR OFTEN FRIED ARE A WEAK POINT IN MY HOUSEHOLD. PREPACKAGED FOODS ARE A STAPLE FOR MOST OF US, 60% OF THE AVERAGE AMERICAN DIET IS MADE UP OF ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS, OR UPFS. WHAT MAKES SOMETHING ULTRA PROCESSED? AMY KEATING IS A NUTRITIONIST AT CONSUMER REPORTS. IT CAN BE CONFUSING BECAUSE SO MANY FOODS FALL UNDER THE ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS UMBRELLA. BUT WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT ARE INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURED FOODS LIKE CHIPS, PACKAGED COOKIES, AND DRINKS THAT ARE HIGH IN ADDED SUGAR AND SODIUM AND OFTEN CONTAIN A LONG LIST OF CHEMICAL INGREDIENTS. UPFS ALSO TEND TO PACK A LOT OF CALORIES IN A SMALL AMOUNT OF FOOD, MAKING THEM EASIER TO EAT AND OVEREAT. THIS CAN LEAD TO WEIGHT GAIN AND AN INCREASED RISK OF DIABETES. EVEN HEALTHY SOUNDING PRODUCTS LIKE DELI, TURKEY AND PACKAGED WHEAT BREAD CAN BE HEAVILY PROCESSED WITH MANY ADDITIVES AND TOO MUCH SUGAR OR SODIUM. YOUR BEST BET IS TO EAT MORE WHOLE FOODS, BUT YOU CAN’T AVOID ALL PACKAGED FOODS, SO CHOOSE THE ONES THAT ARE PROCESSED AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. THERE ARE PLENTY OF PROCESSED FOODS YOU CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT EATING, THOUGH. CANNED FISH SUCH AS TUNA, SALMON, AND SARDINES ARE A BUDGET FRIENDLY WAY TO GET PROTEIN. ALSO, PRECOOKED SOUPS AND WHOLE GRAINS CAN SAVE YOU SIGNIFICANT TIME IN THE KITCHEN. JUST MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE SODIUM COUNTS. JULIANA ALSO MIXES WHOLE AND PROCESSED FOODS TO ENSURE HER DIET IS HEALTHY AND CONFORMS TO HER LIFESTYLE. IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY, I’M NOT GOING TO LIE. WINTER IS HARD, BUT YEAH, IT’S REALLY JUST ABOUT STAYING HEALTHY. AS I GET OLDER. ANDREA FLORES KCRA THREE NEWS AND HEALTH EXPERTS SAY AMONG THE MOST HARMFUL OF PROCESSED FOODS ARE SUGARY SODAS, ENERGY DRINKS, SWEET COFFEE DRINKS OR COCKTAILS. SO CUTTING BAC
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The reason processed meats may harm your heart, according to a cardiologist
Updated: 1:29 PM EDT Apr 27, 2025
If you’re looking to improve your overall wellness, incorporating heart-healthy foods into your diet is a must. But several unexpected bites you might regularly consume could be sabotaging your efforts. Sugar-laden eats, alcohol, and fried foods are obvious choices to nix from your diet in the name of longevity, but doctors have another to add to that list: Processed meats. Lunch meats, bacon, sausages, jerky, and canned meats are all potentially harmful to your heart health if eaten in excess, experts say. “Many studies have shown their toll on health and increasing the risk for heart disease,” Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, previously told “Prevention” in a conversation about the foods you should not eat. “Many of the substances used in the process to preserve meat have been shown to increase the risk for cancer, hypertension, and other health conditions.”A 2021 study published in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” tracked the meat consumption of 135,000 people and found that consuming processed meat significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. More specifically, the study found that eating 150 grams or more of processed meat per week increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 46% and the risk of early death by 50%, compared to eating no processed meat. The study authors also noted that processed meat consists of any type of meat that is “salted, cured, or treated with preservatives and/or food additives.” While removing foods like processed meats from your diet (or limiting them) is a great way to stay healthy, keeping your heart health in check requires a multifaceted approach consisting of not only a healthy diet but also proper exercise and lifestyle choices.If you’re looking for even more ways to protect your heart, try taking our heart health quiz to see how well you know the organ. From there, check out cardiologist-recommended heart health tips and the best heart health diets, according to the American Heart Association.
If you’re looking to improve your overall wellness, incorporating heart-healthy foods into your diet is a must. But several unexpected bites you might regularly consume could be sabotaging your efforts.
Sugar-laden eats, alcohol, and fried foods are obvious choices to nix from your diet in the name of longevity, but doctors have another to add to that list: Processed meats.
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Lunch meats, bacon, sausages, jerky, and canned meats are all potentially harmful to your heart health if eaten in excess, experts say.
“Many studies have shown their toll on health and increasing the risk for heart disease,” Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, previously told “Prevention“ in a conversation about the foods you should not eat. “Many of the substances used in the process to preserve meat have been shown to increase the risk for cancer, hypertension, and other health conditions.”
A 2021 study published in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” tracked the meat consumption of 135,000 people and found that consuming processed meat significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. More specifically, the study found that eating 150 grams or more of processed meat per week increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 46% and the risk of early death by 50%, compared to eating no processed meat. The study authors also noted that processed meat consists of any type of meat that is “salted, cured, or treated with preservatives and/or food additives.”
While removing foods like processed meats from your diet (or limiting them) is a great way to stay healthy, keeping your heart health in check requires a multifaceted approach consisting of not only a healthy diet but also proper exercise and lifestyle choices.
If you’re looking for even more ways to protect your heart, try taking our heart health quiz to see how well you know the organ. From there, check out cardiologist-recommended heart health tips and the best heart health diets, according to the American Heart Association.
