ArticleThe Journal of nutrition2026
Trends in "Healthy" Food Consumption Overall and by Nova Food Processing Categories among United States Adults from 2003 to March 2020.
Article in The Journal of nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- State of the Science on Ultra-processed Foods and the Ultra-processed Food Addiction Construct.Current obesity reports · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn 2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the "healthy" claim that can appear on foods and beverages. However, trends and demographic differences in intake of "healthy" foods are unknown, and there is concern that ultraprocessed foods (UPF) may qualify for the "healthy" claim.
objectivesThe objective of this study was to examine trends in "healthy" food intake by Nova food processing category among United States adults, overall and across demographic groups.
methodsUsing a serial cross-sectional design, we examined dietary intake among a nationally representative sample of United States adults (≥20 y) with 2 valid 24-h dietary recalls from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2004 to 2017-March 2020; n = 34,164). We examined trends in FDA-aligned (i.e., foods meeting "healthy" criteria) and FDA-unaligned (i.e., foods not meeting "healthy" criteria) intake as a proportion of total energy, overall and by Nova category. We used generalized linear models adjusted for demographic characteristics and examined differences using stratified models.
resultsFDA-aligned intake increased from 9.7% to 10.7% (P-trend = 0.03). FDA-aligned minimally processed food (MPF) intake did not change (P-trend = 0.36), but FDA-unaligned MPF intake decreased (P-trend < 0.001). FDA-aligned UPF intake increased but comprised <2% of energy intake. Intake of FDA-unaligned UPFs also increased (P-trend < 0.01) and comprised the majority of energy intake (>51%) in all years. Intake of "healthy" UPFs differed by age, race and ethnicity, and education.
conclusionsIntake of "healthy" foods and beverages increased, but comprised <12% of energy intake in all years. FDA-unaligned UPFs, not "healthy" foods, formed the foundation of United States adults' dietary intakes, regardless of demographic group.
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