The Amount Of Processed Food The Average American Eats Will Gross You Out

Do you basically live on veggies and lean protein? You don't always want chicken and vegetables for dinner, but you eat them because they're good for you, right?

Well, if you're like most of America, I'm going to guess the answer to those questions is a big fat N-O. Apparently, we all basically live off super-processed foods packed with sugar, salt and fat.

This startling information comes from research recently published in the scientific journal BMJ. Researchers looked at the dietary habits of 9,300 Americans between 2009 and 2010 and found "ultra-processed foods" made up 57.9 percent of the average American's daily energy intake.

The most common culprits? Bread, soft drinks, fruit drinks, milk-based drinks, cakes, cookies, pies, salty snacks, frozen food, pizza and breakfast cereals, according to the report.

While one would hope the other 40 percent of our diets were made up of vegetables, it appears this is not the case. The non-processed foods we're eating most commonly include meat, fruit and milk.

While you should probably start making some smarter food choices ASAP, your love of processed food isn't exactly your fault. According to one study, people are so drawn to unhealthy foods (looking at you, pizza and ice cream) they physically move toward them.

I see you moving toward that slice of pizza. Put it down and eat a carrot, please.

Citations: Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study (BMJ)