ArcaMax

What do most packaged breads (even ones claiming to be whole wheat or multi-grain), and many pastas, baby foods and frozen French fries have in common? They're highly or ultra-processed foods. Foods don't have to be prepackaged snacks, desserts or gloppy sauces to qualify as highly processed.

If you're wondering about the processing level of foods in your refrigerator or pantry, try this simple test to ID those you definitely should not buy again. According to the Tufts University Food Is Medicine Institute, you can drop a piece of a starchy food into a glass of water and then go back to look at it in three to four hours, and you'll know if it's highly processed or unprocessed.

If the food has turned into a mushy blob that's floating in cloudy water, it's highly processed. The mush happens because the cellular walls of the foods' fiber are not intact, and it dissolves quickly -- and it will do the same in your digestive tract. In contrast, if the food is just sitting there, soggy but undissolved, then you know when you eat it that the food will take a good while to digest and will not spike blood sugar. It's essentially unprocessed.

Another good test: Read nutrition labels. Foods should contain at least 1 gram of fiber for every 10 grams of carbs, says Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, head of the institute. If a food doesn't have that fiber-to-carb ratio, don't buy it. For great recipes using fresh, unprocessed foods, check out my "What to Eat When Cookbook."

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@4YOUngevity.com.

(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.