Americans get over half of their calories from highly processed foods: CDC

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds Americans get more than half of their calories from ultra-processed food. 

The report released this month used dietary data collected from August 2021 to August 2023 and shows during that period roughly 55% of the total calories eaten by Americans 1 year and older came from ultra-processed foods.

Americans 18 years old and younger, 62% of the calories they consumed came from ultra-processed food, according to the study.

Some of the ultra-processed foods include pizza, sandwiches, baked goods and burgers. 

The study comes amid Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s push for food companies to remove artificial dyes and other chemicals from food made in the U.S.