Avoiding Ultra-Processed Foods Is Completely Unrealistic

One day recently, my son had two long, back-to-back doctor appointments, which meant he was in the car and in waiting rooms for much of the afternoon. His lunch and snack would not have earned me a healthy-mom award: peanut-butter puffs, a grape-jelly Uncrustables sandwich, and a package of mixed-berry oat bites. All ultra-processed foods, the new boogeyman of public health.

I have many years of experience as a health reporter, and I understand the importance of healthy eating. I’m well aware of the fervent push by both right- and left-leaning health authorities to get Americans to eat fewer ultra-processed foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents limit their kids’ consumption of ultra-processed foods, including “anything in a crinkly bag”—that is, everything my s