How Many Processed Foods Are You Eating? More than You Know

You may think that processed foods are only located in fast food chains and restaurants, but you couldn't be more wrong.

Processed foods aren't just limited to "junk food" either (like baked goods). They're located down every aisle in your grocery store, and you're probably eating more than you realize.

In fact, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a whopping 61 percent of your calories are coming from processed foods.

Researchers analyzed data of how a typical individual buys groceries. The data came from 157,000 shoppers who tracked their edible purchases with a barcode scanner from 2000-2012 from 10 months to 14 years.

Around 1.2 million products were placed into four categories. The first category was labeled "minimally processed," which included products like eggs, frozen meat, and bagged salad. The second category is "basic processed," which included flour, sugar, and oil.

The third category was "moderately processed," which included plant or animal sources that were also injected with additives. The last category is "highly processed" and included several manufacturing mixtures that aren't recognized as an original animal or plant source.

Researchers found that more than three-quarters of calories came from highly processed (61 percent) and moderately processed (16 percent) foods. The other most notable products that were purchased were cookies, sugary sodas, juice, refined bread, and energy drinks.

What additional research is still needed?

Dr. Jennifer Poti shares more information on this startling study that shows how much processed food you could be eating on a daily basis, as well as what it means for the future of our nation's health.