Ultra-processed foods are common in pregnancy – regardless of food assistance
Food insecurity was linked to poorer overall diet quality, while UPF intake remained high across groups.
Pregnancy is a time when nutrition matters for both mothers and babies. Researchers wanted to understand how food insecurity and participation in federal nutrition programs may relate to what pregnant women eat, including their consumption of ultra-processed foods.
The study analyzed data from 1,286 pregnant women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2001 and 2018. Researchers looked at household food insecurity, participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), overall diet quality, and the percentage of daily calories that came from ultra-processed foods.
One finding stood out: ultra-processed foods were a major part of the diet across the board. On average, 57.1% of daily calories came from ultra-processed foods, with no significant differences based on food-security status or participation in WIC or SNAP.
Food insecurity did, however, appear to matter for overall diet quality. About 20% of the women in the study experienced food insecurity, and their diets scored lower on the Healthy Eating Index, a measure of how closely eating patterns align with federal dietary guidelines. However, WIC participation was associated with higher scoring.
The researchers suggest that the consistently high level of UPF consumption may reflect how deeply these foods are embedded in the food environment, including barriers related to cost, access, and availability of less-processed, nutritious foods. They also point to transportation and other structural challenges that can shape food choices.
The study has important limitations. Because it used cross-sectional survey data, it can show associations but cannot determine cause and effect. Food intake was also self-reported, and the survey was not originally designed specifically to measure food processing.
The takeaway: Ultra-processed foods made up more than half of daily calories among pregnant women in this national sample, regardless of whether they experienced food insecurity or participated in WIC or SNAP. The findings suggest that improving access to affordable, nutritious, less-processed foods may require changes that go beyond nutrition assistance alone.
