What Happens When Families Cut Out Ultra-Processed Foods

At the Santé Foundation, we believe food choices play a profound role in shaping both physical and mental health. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal documented a striking family experiment: eliminating ultra-processed foods (UPFs) for a full month. The results offer important insights for anyone considering dietary changes (Wall Street Journal, 2025).

Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of the Tufts Food Is Medicine Institute emphasized that the evidence against UPFs is “incontrovertible,” citing research that connects them to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 60 percent of children’s calories come from these foods. Despite the overwhelming data, it is not always clear which UPFs do the most harm or why they trigger such negative health effects.

The WSJ report described how one family cut UPFs by avoiding products with unfamiliar ingredients like maltodextrin or soy lecithin. Favorites such as crackers, granola bars, bagels, and flavored sparkling waters were replaced with minimally processed alternatives like yogurt, beans, popcorn, fruits, and vegetables. Within ten days, a major change occurred: cravings subsided. “I wasn’t constantly thinking about food,” the author noted, highlighting a reduction in what researchers call “food noise.”

Scientific studies reinforce these experiences. A randomized controlled trial published in Nature Medicine found that adults who adopted a minimally processed diet lost weight and reported fewer cravings, a finding that surprised researchers because weight loss typically increases hunger.

Children’s eating habits also shifted. After three weeks, the family’s daughter began enjoying homemade meals, suggesting that UPFs may blunt appetite for whole foods. Psychologist Ashley Gearhardt from the University of Michigan explained that refined carbohydrates in UPFs cause blood sugar crashes that drive repeated snacking. Research in Cell Metabolism (2023) further confirmed that high-sugar, high-fat foods increase preferences for unhealthy snacks, while exposure to healthier foods can reverse these cravings.

The benefits were not just physical. A 2017 study in Nutritional Neuroscience found that adults with depression who adopted a whole-food diet experienced greater improvements in mental health compared to a social support group. The WSJ report echoed this finding, as the family described feeling mentally clearer and less reliant on willpower to avoid UPFs.

Yet challenges remained. UPFs appeared almost everywhere outside the home, from school events to social gatherings. To cope, the family adopted what Gearhardt calls “context-setters,” creating spaces such as the home and car where UPFs were off-limits. Other experts recommended practical strategies like teaching children to cook and using simple kitchen tools, including slow cookers or bread machines, to make healthier meals more accessible.

Ultimately, the family found that not only did they feel better, but healthier foods began to taste better as well. As Mozaffarian explained, “Foods that are better for you often taste better as well.”

For families seeking to reduce UPFs, the key may lie in small, consistent changes that reshape cravings and restore a love for whole foods.