Americans, on average, get 55% of their calories from ultra-processed foods, according to a study published … by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For children, that figure is even higher, at 62%. Yet, over the last decade, Americans have been consuming fewer ultra-processed foods.

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Families with higher incomes tend to eat less of the foods. Those with incomes far above the federal poverty level get 50.4% of their calories from ultra-processed foods. But families with incomes significantly below the poverty line consume 55.3% of their calories from such foods.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has claimed the foods are a key contributor to chronic illnesses and has proposed additional funding for nutrition research and prioritizing whole foods.

Yet, some of the Trump administrations policies appear to undermine those goals. In March, the Trump administration cut grants that paid farmers to supply schools. And Trump’s domestic spending law includes a 20% cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides low-income families with money for groceries. 

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