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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Jen Sherman

My family tried to eat fewer ultra-processed foods for five years. Here’s what we learned

An illustration of green grocery aisles with a cart at the center fore
Food inflation in the US in 2025 was 2-3%, and food prices are up about 30% since 2019. Illustration: Sean Dong/The Guardian

Grocery shopping looks different these days. On Saturday mornings, instead of the local supermarket, I’m at our local San Diego farmers’ market, loading up on fish, meat, apples, cheese and berries – enough for a family of four.

But it’s not a cheap excursion; our weekly grocery spend is now higher than it was when we decided to try to cut ultra-processed foods (UPFs) from our diet five years ago.

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