A food scientist who has long vocalized the link between ultra-processed foods and chronic health conditions has revealed that he still eats them, even ‘the bad ones’.
Dr Kevin Hall served as a nutrition and metabolism scientist at the National Institutes of Health for 21 years before quitting this spring amid complaints that his work was being censored by the Trump administration.
In a recent interview, he opened up about his daily diet and admitted that he indulges in UPFs as they taste good and can save time.
He said: ‘Just because something is ultra-processed doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad for you.’
‘I use, for example, a marinara sauce that’s low in sugar and sodium, but when I’m making a nice pasta dish, it cuts down the preparation time. I’m not going to make a marinara sauce from scratch.’
A 2019 analysis by Hall and his colleagues found that ultra-processed foods led participants to eat about 500 calories a day more than when they ate a matched diet of unprocessed foods, suggesting they are addictive.
Despite the findings, Hall says he hasn’t been put off UPFs and he ‘treats them as recreational substances’.
Opening up about his typical daily diet, he made another surprising revelation: that he doesn’t eat breakfast.
Some nutritionists say skipping breakfast has consequences, as it may lead to low energy, poor concentration, overeating later in the day, or blood sugar imbalances.
Dr Kevin Hall served as a nutrition and metabolism scientist at the National Institutes of Health for 21 years before quitting this spring amid complaints that his work was being censored by the Trump government
But Hall simply says he’s ‘not a breakfast eater’ and he prefers to start his day with a coffee.
For a morning snack, around 11:30am, his go-tos are fruit, nuts or hard boiled eggs and then for lunch, at 1pm, he generally has leftovers from the night before.
For dinner, Hall says that marinara sauce (which is a tomato sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and onions) ‘plays a pretty prominent role’ in his household.
His favorite recipe is mixing the sauce with frozen scallops and whole-wheat pasta, with some grilled vegetables.
He added: ‘Those are common things in our household, at least for the adults.’
For his children, he says he and his wife pick out things that they known they will like as ‘they are very particular.’
While they like farmed Atlantic salmon, vegetables rice and beans, another of their favorite foods are chicken nuggets.
Nutritionists generally advise against UPFs, such as chicken nuggets, as studies have linked them to various negative health impacts, including increased risks of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and early death.
These foods often contain unhealthy levels of fat, sugar, and salt, while lacking essential fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
But for Hall, chicken nuggets are a convenient dinner solution for his picky children. ‘It can be a little challenging, but we make it work for the whole family,’ he added.
Ultra-processed foods have exploded in the US and elsewhere in recent decades, just as rates of obesity and other diet-related diseases also rise.
A 2019 analysis by Hall and his colleagues found that ultra-processed foods led participants to eat about 500 calories a day more than when they ate a matched diet of unprocessed foods, suggesting they are addictive
The foods, which are often high in fat, sodium and sugar, are typically cheap, mass-produced and contain added colors and chemicals not found in a home kitchen.
Think sugary cereals and potato chips, frozen pizzas, sodas and ice cream.
However, even healthier options like pasta sauce and salad kits are often processed.
Studies have linked ultra-processed foods to negative health effects, but whether it’s the actual processing of the foods (rather than the amount of calories they contain or the chemicals in them) remains uncertain.
Following his 2019 analysis exposing ultra-processed foods, Hall launched a more in-depth multimillion-dollar study this year which saw three dozen participants paid $5,000 each to devote 28 days of their lives to science.
During the study, the subjects were monitored as they ate different foods to understand how processing impacts digestion and metabolism.
Results from the trial are set to be published later this year, but Hall previously said the preliminary results were intriguing.
At a scientific conference in November 2024, he reported that the first 18 trial participants ate about 1,000 calories a day more of an ultra-processed diet that was particularly hyperpalatable and energy dense than those who ate minimally processed foods, leading to weight gain.
When those qualities were modified, consumption went down, even if the foods were considered ultra-processed, Hall said.
The NIH spends about $2 billion a year, about five percent of its total budget, on nutrition research, according to Senate documents.