Get Healthy: Carol Slager: It's hard to avoid ultra-processed foods, but there are ways to minimize them

Carol Slager Times correspondent

What to eat. What not to eat. It's all confusing.

For instance, let’s say you buy a box of crackers. As you’re enjoying them in your soup, you read the ingredient label. Turns out that what you thought was a simple cracker is loaded with fat, sodium, sugar, artificial flavors and more. Do you give up your crackers? Are they that bad? Is there a healthier option that will give you the same crunchy satisfaction in your soup?

According to Medical Economics, ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, make up more than half of the American diet. For youths aged 1-18 years, the number is 61.9%. It’s estimated that up to 70% of grocery items in the U.S. contain at least one ultra-processed ingredient.

Foods high in saturated fat, added sugar and salt are contributing to