Table 3. Nutrient Profiles of Commonly Consumed Ultraprocessed Foods Among US Youths Aged 2-19 Years by NHANES 2017-2018 Survey Cycle.
| Nutrient intake level, mean (95% CI) | Between-group mean difference (95% CI) | P value for differenceb | Nutrient intake level by subgroup of ultraprocessed foods, meanc | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foods not ultraprocesseda | Ultraprocessed foods | Industrial grain foodsd | Ready-to-heat and -eat mixed dishese | Sweet snacks and sweetsf | Savory snacksg | Fast-food or reconstituted meat, poultry, or fishh | Sugar-sweetened beveragesi | |||
| Carbohydrates, % of energy | 43.4 (42.0 to 44.9) | 55.2 (54.5 to 56.0) | 11.8 (10.2 to 13.4) | <.001 | 70.0 | 46.8 | 58.5 | 50.2 | 12.2 | 94.3 |
| Protein, % of energy | 20.6 (19.9 to 21.3) | 10.5 (10.1 to 11.0) | −10.1 (−10.9 to −9.3) | <.001 | 11.3 | 16.2 | 4.83 | 6.45 | 26.5 | 2.95 |
| Total fats, % of energy | 35.9 (34.7 to 37.2) | 34.3 (33.7 to 34.9) | −1.64 (−3.05 to −0.23) | .03 | 18.7 | 37.0 | 36.6 | 43.3 | 61.4 | 2.80 |
| Saturated fats, % of energy | 14.0 (13.3 to 14.6) | 11.1 (10.8 to 11.3) | −2.89 (−3.60 to −2.18) | <.001 | 5.80 | 14.1 | 15.9 | 8.65 | 18.1 | 0.22 |
| Monounsaturated fats, % of energy | 11.8 (11.3 to 12.3) | 11.1 (11.0 to 11.3) | −0.70 (−1.25 to −0.15) | .02 | 5.15 | 12.2 | 11.7 | 14.7 | 24.3 | 0.46 |
| Polyunsaturated fats, % of energy | 5.9 (5.5 to 6.3) | 9.0 (8.6 to 9.3) | 3.14 (2.63 to 3.65) | <.001 | 5.61 | 7.48 | 6.39 | 16.8 | 12.7 | 0.38 |
| Added sugars, % of energy | 3.4 (2.9 to 3.9) | 19.3 (18.6 to 20.0) | 15.9 (15.1 to 16.7) | <.001 | 11.4 | 2.11 | 32.3 | 1.17 | 0.89 | 81.4 |
| Fiber, g/100 kcal | 0.87 (0.81 to 0.92) | 0.67 (0.66 to 0.69) | −0.20 (−0.26 to −0.14) | <.001 | 1.16 | 0.88 | 0.48 | 0.84 | 0.20 | 0.08 |
| Sodium, mg/100 kcal | 135 (130 to 141) | 160 (155 to 165) | 24.3 (17.0 to 31.6) | <.001 | 166 | 248 | 61.6 | 147 | 274 | 40.9 |
| Calcium, mg/100 kcal | 83.0 (79.3 to 86.7) | 37.6 (36.5 to 38.7) | −45.4 (−49.3 to −41.5) | <.001 | 48.9 | 48.6 | 20.2 | 15.7 | 9.58 | 16.8 |
| Magnesium, mg/100 kcal | 18.2 (17.7 to 18.6) | 9.6 (9.3 to 9.9) | −8.58 (−9.11 to −8.05) | <.001 | 11.6 | 10.1 | 7.67 | 10.9 | 8.24 | 8.27 |
| Potassium, mg/100 kcal | 180 (177 to 185) | 79 (77 to 81) | −102.0 (−107.0 to −97.5) | <.001 | 50.3 | 88.7 | 50.4 | 81.9 | 121 | 58.4 |
| Iron, mg/100 kcal | 0.45 (0.43 to 0.47) | 0.80 (0.77 to 0.83) | 0.35 (0.31 to 0.39) | <.001 | 1.84 | 0.78 | 0.56 | 0.52 | 0.46 | 0.26 |
| Zinc, mg/100 kcal | 2.67 (2.48 to 2.85) | 0.34 (0.32 to 0.46) | −2.33 (−2.51 to −2.15) | <.001 | 0.66 | 0.46 | 0.20 | 0.24 | 0.68 | 0.23 |
| Vitamin A, μg/100 kcal | 48.3 (45.4 to 51.2) | 22.8 (21.3 to 24.4) | −25.5 (−28.8 to −22.2) | <.001 | 37.2 | 19.3 | 20.0 | 1.88 | 3.48 | 10.7 |
| Vitamin C, mg/100 kcal | 8.2 (7.1 to 9.3) | 1.9 (1.7 to 2.1) | −6.27 (−7.39 to −5.15) | <.001 | 1.18 | 0.65 | 1.30 | 1.70 | 0.32 | 10.7 |
| Vitamin D, μg/100 kcal | 0.35 (0.33 to 0.38) | 0.42 (0.39 to 0.44) | 0.07 (0.03 to 0.11) | <.001 | 0.20 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0 | 0.15 | 0.06 |
| Vitamin E, μg/100 kcal | 0.48 (0.45 to 0.52) | 0.15 (0.14 to 0.16) | −0.33 (−0.37 to −0.29) | .003 | 0.22 | 0.35 | 0.33 | 0.79 | 0.39 | 0.31 |
| Total folate, μg/100 kcalj | 19.2 (17.9 to 20.5) | 29.7 (28.1 to 31.2) | 10.5 (8.5 to 12.5) | <.001 | 75.8 | 37.5 | 13.7 | 19.2 | 6.29 | 4.89 |
| Food folate, μg/100 kcalk | 12.2 (11.0 to 13.0) | 6.1 (5.9 to 6.2) | −6.2 (−5.3 to −6.9) | <.001 | 9.93 | 9.44 | 3.86 | 5.35 | 4.17 | 1.18 |
| Folic acid, μg/100 kcall | 4.1 (3.6 to 4.6) | 14.0 (13.1 to 14.8) | 9.9 (8.8 to −10.9) | <.001 | 39.1 | 16.5 | 5.79 | 8.16 | 1.22 | 2.16 |
Abbreviation: NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Includes all foods and ingredients classified as unprocessed or minimally processed (NOVA group 1), processed culinary ingredients (NOVA group 2), and processed foods (NOVA group 3).
Assesses the between-group difference in estimated mean of nutrients using t tests.
The 95% CIs for the estimated means appear in eTable 6 in the Supplement.
Breads, rolls, and tortillas; breakfast cereal; biscuits, muffins, and quick breads; and pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
Pizza; sandwiches or hamburgers; and other mixed dishes that are ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat.
Sweet bakery products (cakes, cookies, pies, and pastries); ice cream and desserts (ice pops, frozen yogurt, pudding, fruit, and gelatin); candy; and cereal and nutrition bars.
Crackers, chips, and popcorn.
Meat patties, fried chicken, fish sticks, patties, or fillets; chicken nuggets, sausages, ham, lunch meats, and meat spreads; and beef, pork, or other types of jerky.
Sugar-sweetened and diet soft drinks; fruit and other sweetened drinks (eg, energy drinks, sports drinks, nonalcoholic wine).
Included folate from both natural food sources and those from fortified food sources. The amount of total folate was assessed in dietary folate equivalents and calculated as food folate + folic acid × 1.667.
Included folate from natural food sources (eg, vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, seafood, eggs, and dairy).
Synthetic form added to foods (eg, flour, breads, cereals, and pastas) for fortification purposes.