TORONTO – Almost half of what Canadians eat comes from ultra-processed foods like packaged snacks, fast food, and sugary drinks. Landmark studies now show these foods are linked to heart disease, stroke, and other major health problems. Nearly four in 10 new cases of these conditions in Canada can be traced back to ultra-processed foods.
With new data out for 2025, there’s a clear call to action. Understanding the connection between what goes on your plate and your long-term health has never been more important for Canadians. This post looks at the recent studies, what’s driving high consumption, and why cutting back could save thousands of lives each year.
Understanding Ultra-Processed Foods: What Are They and Why Are They So Prevalent in Canada?
Ultra-processed foods (UPFS) have taken over much of the average Canadian’s diet. It’s not just about convenience or clever packaging—these foods are everywhere. Many Canadians don’t even notice how big a chunk UPFS takes from their plates every day. Understanding what qualifies as ultra-processed and why these products are so popular helps make sense of their huge impact on health across the country.
What Makes a Food “Ultra-Processed”?
Not every food that comes in a box or can is ultra-processed. Some processing might involve freezing, canning, or mixing basic ingredients like salt or sugar to keep food safe and tasty. Ultra-processed foods are different. They’re made mostly from ingredients that you won’t find in a home kitchen—think additives, flavour enhancers, and artificial colours.
Common UPFS in Canada include:
- Soft drinks and energy drinks
- Sweetened breakfast cereals
- Candy and chocolate bars
- Packaged salty snacks, like chips and pretzels
- Ready-to-eat frozen meals
- Instant noodles and boxed mac and cheese
- Sweetened yogurts
- Chicken nuggets and hot dogs
Each item listed shares one thing—they’re usually made with very little whole food. Instead, they combine processed ingredients to create flavour, shelf life, and texture that can’t be matched with fresh foods. To get a snapshot of typical examples in Canada, check this Heart & Stroke resource.
Why Canadians Eat So Many Ultra-Processed Foods
Ultra-processed foods fit right into the fast pace of modern life. Many products are packaged to be opened and eaten anywhere, at any time. No chopping, cooking, or planning required. Canadians grab a granola bar on the way out the door or toss a frozen pizza in the oven after a long day. This easy access is a big reason UPFS are a fixture in so many homes.
A few factors drive their popularity:
- Convenience: UPFS are ready to go, with little to no prep time.
- Shelf Life: These products last much longer than fresh food.
- Aggressive Marketing: UPFS are pushed on TV, social media, and store shelves, especially to young people.
- Low Price Point: Many UPFS are cheap compared to fresh produce or meat.
The Canadian diet skews sharply toward these foods—UPFs make up nearly half of the average daily calorie intake for adults. That statistic is even higher for children and teens. Canada’s Food Guide highlights the dangers of depending on UPFS for most meals.
Who Eats the Most Ultra-Processed Foods?
Some Canadians eat more UPFS than others, and trends are clear:
- Youth: Children and teenagers often choose chips, soda, candy, and convenience foods over traditional meals.
- Men: Adult men consistently report higher intake of fast food, frozen entrees, and sugary drinks.
- People with Lower Incomes: Highly processed foods are widely available and often cheaper than fresh choices.
Advertising also plays a powerful role. Eye-catching packaging and playful characters target families and kids. Many ads lean into trendiness or “fun” to encourage more frequent snacking and quick meals.
The Social Cost of Easy Eating
The easy access and appeal of UPFS come at a price. Canadians eating higher amounts of these foods face higher risks for obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It’s a steep trade-off between instant convenience and long-term health.
With so many options at every store, vending machine, and drive-thru, limiting ultra-processed foods takes real attention. Understanding what goes into these foods (and how often they land on the plate) is a big step in choosing better for health—and for Canada’s future. For more about how foods are categorised and tips for eating fewer UPFS, visit this detailed article from the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation.
Direct Health Impacts: Scientific Evidence Linking Ultra-Processed Foods to Disease
Living in Canada today means being surrounded by foods designed for convenience. But this convenience comes with clear health risks. Over the last several years, large Canadian studies have established a strong connection between eating ultra-processed foods (UPFS) and a higher chance of developing serious diseases. These effects show up even in people who aren’t overweight and lead to health problems that often begin early and build silently with every packaged snack, sugary drink, and fast food meal.
Not Just About Weight: Insights from Biomarker Research
Ultra-processed foods do more than add empty calories or boost the number on the scale. New research that tracks people’s blood work and health markers tells a deeper story. Scientists have found that the health harms from UPFS persist even when a person’s weight, age, exercise, and income are taken into account. This means it’s not just about eating too many calories.
Key findings from recent Canadian epidemiological and biomarker studies include:
- Association with Disease Markers: People who eat the most UPFS are more likely to have elevated blood pressure, higher cholesterol, greater waist circumference, and increased blood sugar, all of which drive illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.
- Inflammation and Metabolic Disruption: Studies have measured higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)—a marker of inflammation—in heavy UPF consumers. This low-grade inflammation puts the body at risk for heart disease, stroke, and other chronic issues.
- Beyond Body Weight: Even after adjusting for BMI (body mass index) and healthy lifestyle habits, the risk remains. This suggests UPFS may directly harm the body’s metabolism, encouraging insulin resistance, disrupting gut hormones, and increasing oxidative stress.
Some biomarker studies, like the one detailed in PubMed, have pinpointed proteins in the blood that rise in response to heavy UPF diets, further linking these foods to poor health. Consistent evidence now shows these foods contribute to:
- Poor appetite regulation and easy overconsumption
- Persistent background inflammation
- Subtle but meaningful nutrient shortfalls
New reviews, like those summarized at News Medical, have highlighted how these risks pile up even when weight isn’t yet an issue.
Vulnerable Populations and Health Disparities
Canadians from all walks of life eat ultra-processed foods. But the health risks fall harder on some groups. Systematic reviews and large national surveys find lower-income Canadians and youth are not only exposed to more UPFs—they also face greater health hardships as a result.
Consider these realities:
- Youth at Risk: Canadian children and teens eat more UPFS by percentage of calories than adults. This early exposure results in higher chances of obesity, prediabetes, and early hypertension, as several studies, including data presented at McMaster University, have found.
- Economic Factors: Low-income households often depend on the affordability and long shelf-life of UPFS. This makes healthier choices harder to access, broadening the risk gap between families.
- Geographic and Social Gaps: Rural and remote areas, and certain Indigenous communities, are especially affected by the dominance of UPFS on store shelves, given the high price and scarcity of fresh alternatives.
What does this mean for health? Take the case of cardiovascular disease: studies show that up to 37% of new diagnoses of heart disease and stroke in Canada are linked to frequent UPF meals. Stroke risk has been found to rise by as much as 9% for every additional 10% of energy intake from ultra-processed food, as discussed in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
These numbers aren’t just statistics—they represent real children, teens, and adults who will spend years managing illnesses that could have been prevented. Addressing these gaps is essential not only for better health outcomes but also for building fairness and equity in Canadian communities.
What Can Be Done? Individual Choices, Policy Actions, and Public Health Strategies
Canadians have real ways to push back against the hold ultra-processed foods have on daily diets. Whether it’s an individual swapping a packaged snack for a homemade meal or a city rolling out better school food programs, every action counts. Turning the tide won’t be instant, but clear, practical steps create real health gains—especially for kids, families on tight budgets, and people in neighbourhoods packed with convenience foods. Here’s how each level of society can make progress.
Individual Choices: Simple Steps with Big Impact
Eating fewer ultra-processed foods doesn’t mean going hungry or feeling deprived. A few mindful choices day-in, day-out can reshape habits and boost well-being.
Some of the most effective, evidence-backed changes people can make include:
- Cooking More at Home: Home-cooked meals naturally use more whole foods and less sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. Even one or two extra scratch-cooked dinners per week add up over time. Check out tips for practical swaps and meal ideas from Canada’s Food Guide.
- Reading Labels: Nutrition panels reveal more than calories. People who watch for unfamiliar ingredients (like artificial flavours or preservatives) find it easier to spot truly processed items.
- Choosing Whole Foods: Fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, eggs, fish, and lean meats—foods close to their original form—are more filling and nutrient-dense than premade meals or snacks.
- Limiting Sugary Drinks: Replacing soda or energy drinks with water keeps sugar down and is one of the fastest ways to cut unnecessary calories.
- Keeping Processed Foods Out of the House: Stocking up on wholesome snacks and limiting ready-to-eat treats makes healthy choices simpler, especially for children and teens.
Small steps add up fast. Adopting a few healthy routines leads to changes in taste preferences and helps reduce cravings for high-salt, high-fat, and sugary foods. For more guidance on eating less ultra-processed food, the Heart & Stroke Foundation offers strategies Canadians have found useful.
Policy Actions: Making Healthy Choices Easier for All
Not all families can fight the tide of ultra-processed foods on their own. That’s why policy matters. Smart government action can make healthy eating the easy (and affordable) choice for everyone.
The most promising policy interventions include:
- Restricting Advertising to Children: Banning or limiting ads targeting children reduces “pester power” and helps kids form better habits. Policies in other countries show huge drops in demand for sugary cereals and snacks after ad bans.
- Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Junk Foods: Extra taxes raise prices on sodas and other unhealthy choices, nudging consumers toward better options. Revenue can support healthier school meals or community food programs.
- Subsidizing Fruits and Vegetables: Lowering the price of healthy foods—especially for low-income families—can double or triple consumption of fresh produce. Subsidies make it possible for everyone to put more vegetables and fruit on their plates.
- Front-of-Pack Labelling: Warning labels on ultra-processed foods, especially those high in sugar, salt, or fat, make it easier for busy shoppers to spot better choices.
- School Food Programs: Investing in healthy school meals and snacks gives every child, regardless of background, a chance for better nutrition.
Experts agree these strategies need strong, coordinated action across Canada. For a look at how countries are moving toward more impactful policies, see proposals reviewed in this comprehensive policy analysis.
Public Health Strategies: Building Healthier Communities
Public health isn’t just about passing new laws or leading by example—it’s about creating supportive spaces where good choices come naturally. Community-driven approaches help normalise real food over processed products.
Promising strategies include:
- Nutrition Education Campaigns: Schools, workplaces, and health clinics can deliver clear, practical lessons about reading labels, cooking simple meals, and understanding how food choices affect health.
- Community Kitchens and Cooking Classes: Local programs teach children and adults to prepare easy, tasty meals at home. These hands-on experiences change habits faster than facts alone.
- Access to Affordable Fresh Food: Farmer’s markets, mobile produce trucks, and grocery store incentives in underserved neighbourhoods make healthy foods more available where they’re needed most.
- Food Policies in Public Institutions: Hospitals, schools, and government offices can set an example by serving unprocessed, nutritious foods.
Community and clinical-level interventions work best when combined with strong policy and public messaging. See examples in recent community health studies exploring local impact.
Projected Health Gains and Why Urgency Matters
Reducing ultra-processed food intake could prevent thousands of new cases of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke every year in Canada. Population data suggest that even small reductions pay off quickly, with fewer hospital visits and a lower burden on families and the health care system.
Key points:
- Cutting back on UPFS by just 10-20% could lead to steep drops in obesity, blood pressure, and cholesterol across age groups.
- Children and teens see the biggest gains when school and home environments support healthy eating from the start.
- Subsidized fruits and vegetables have been shown to double daily intake for some families, boosting health within just months.
Speed matters. The longer the high intake of UPFS goes unchecked, the deeper the health gap grows, especially among low-income Canadians and youth. Systemic change creates fairness, making it possible for everyone to live healthier, longer lives.
Change starts one plate, one policy, one community at a time. Every effort matters, from reading a label to supporting new school lunch programs or public health campaigns. Reducing ultra-processed foods can shape a healthier, more resilient Canada for everyone.
Conclusion
Ultra-processed foods have become a daily staple for many Canadians, but the evidence is clear: this pattern carries serious health risks. Science now confirms that these foods fuel a sharp rise in heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even some cancers. The numbers are staggering—nearly four in ten new heart and stroke cases are tied to diets high in ultra-processed foods.
The good news is that change is possible and starts with small steps. Choosing more whole foods, cooking at home, and supporting stronger food policies can protect families and future generations. This challenge isn’t just about personal willpower; it’s about making Canada’s food environment healthier and fairer for everyone.
Support efforts that put healthier food within reach, from local initiatives to national regulations. Every meal is a chance to make a healthier choice. Thanks for reading—and share your voice in this growing movement for better food and better health.
