Most Americans get more than half their calories from ultra-processed foods, those super-tasty, energy-dense foods typically full of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, according to a new federal report. Nutrition research has shown for years that ultra-processed foods make up a big chunk of the U.S. diet, especially for kids and teens.

More than half of the calories Americans consume come from ultra-processed foods that studies have increasingly linked to health problems, according to new federal data released Thursday. The data illustrates how pervasive such foods have become as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.