Through the rain-spattered window of Dr. Michelle Lin’s Vancouver office, I watch a mother and daughter share a packaged snack cake on a bench outside. The colorful wrapper crinkles as they laugh together, finding joy in this small indulgence despite the weather. It’s a scene repeating countless times across Canada every day – the casual consumption of ultra-processed foods that have become so embedded in our daily routines that we barely notice them anymore.
“Most people don’t realize these foods make up about 50% of the Canadian diet now,” says Dr. Lin, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of British Columbia. “We’re not talking about occasional treats. We’re talking about half of what we eat.”
A groundbreaking scientific statement from the American Heart Association published last week in the journal Circulation has brought renewed attention to the health impacts of these ubiquitous food products. The report represents the most comprehensive review to date of the relationship between ultra-processed foods and cardiovascular health, concluding that reducing consumption could prevent thousands of premature deaths annually.
Ultra-processed foods – defined as formulations of ingredients resulting from a series of industrial processes – include soft drinks, packaged snacks, many breakfast cereals, and ready-to-heat products. What distinguishes them is not just their ingredients but their extensive processing, which often strips nutritional value while adding preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial flavors, and colors.
“When I visited communities across northern British Columbia last year, I saw firsthand how these products have reached even the most remote areas,” I tell Dr. Lin. “In places where traditional foods were once the foundation of diet, the convenience store shelves are now stocked with the same ultra-processed options we see everywhere else.”
She nods solemnly. “Food environments have changed dramatically. What we’re learning is that the health consequences are significant.”
The AHA report, which analyzed over 400 scientific studies, found that diets high in ultra-processed foods are associated with a 50% higher risk of cardiovascular disease-related death. It also linked these foods to increased risks of type 2 diabetes, obesity, certain cancers, and depression.
For Linda Bearfoot, an elder from the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation near Fort St. James, the proliferation of these foods represents something more profound than just a health concern.
“When our young people choose packaged foods over traditional meals, we lose more than nutrition,” she explains as we sit at her kitchen table where dried salmon hangs nearby. “We lose connection to land, to culture, to the teachings that come through food preparation and sharing.”
The disconnect between modern food systems and cultural traditions is something Dr. Mariska Leeuwner, a physician with Northern Health, sees regularly in her practice.
“Patients come to me with heart disease, diabetes, obesity – conditions that were rare in Indigenous communities before the introduction of western diets,” she says. “But addressing this isn’t just about telling people to eat better. We need to acknowledge the systemic barriers to accessing nutritious, culturally appropriate foods.”
Those barriers include food insecurity, which affects approximately 15% of Canadian households according to Statistics Canada. In northern and remote communities, the numbers are even higher, with some Indigenous communities reporting food insecurity rates exceeding 50%.
“When a two-liter bottle of soda costs less than a small container of berries, we can’t be surprised at the choices people make,” notes Dr. Leeuwner. “This isn’t about personal failure – it’s about food systems that make the unhealthy choice the easy, affordable one.”
The AHA report acknowledges these structural factors, calling for policies that address food affordability and accessibility alongside consumer education. It specifically recommends front-of-package labeling to help consumers identify ultra-processed foods more easily – a measure Health Canada has already begun implementing with its new nutrition symbol requirements.
Walking through a downtown Vancouver supermarket with Dr. Lin, we examine products that might surprise consumers with their classification as ultra-processed. Many plant-based meat alternatives, yogurts marketed as health foods, and products labeled “natural” fall into this category.
“It’s not about demonizing convenience,” Dr. Lin clarifies as we navigate the aisles. “It’s about transparency and moderation. Understanding what we’re actually consuming is the first step.”
For families trying to reduce ultra-processed foods, the challenge can seem overwhelming. Emma Chen, a single mother of two in East Vancouver, shares her experience while preparing dinner in her apartment kitchen.
“I work full-time and have limited time to cook,” she says, chopping vegetables for a stir-fry. “I’ve started by just replacing one ultra-processed food item each week with something more whole. Small steps, you know?”
These small steps align with the practical approach recommended by dietitians like Sonia Rahman, who works with community health centers in the Lower Mainland.
“I encourage people to start where they are,” Rahman explains. “Maybe it’s making your own popcorn instead of buying the microwave packets, or keeping frozen vegetables on hand for quick meals. The goal isn’t perfection – it’s progress.”
Back in her office, Dr. Lin emphasizes that the solution requires more than individual action. “We need policy changes that make healthy foods more affordable and accessible. We need food environments that support healthy choices rather than undermining them.”
As our conversation ends, the rain has stopped. Outside, the bench is empty, but the colorful wrapper remains – a small reminder of the larger conversation Canada needs to have about the foods that have become so normal in our daily lives, yet may be silently affecting our health in ways we’re only beginning to understand.
The daughter and mother I observed earlier have moved on, continuing their day together. I wonder what their next snack might be, and whether reports like the AHA’s will eventually change what ends up in their shopping cart – and in the shopping carts of millions of Canadians making similar choices every day.
