If you struggle to cut out processed foods, ones with protein and fiber may be a healthier option, according to an expert

• Some ultra-processed foods can lead to weight gain and higher risk of chronic illness.
• But you can avoid the worst of them by cutting back on added sugar, salt and fat, an expert says.

There's good evidence that processed foods are bad for our health, but avoiding them can seem nearly impossible, since anything from deli meats and cheeses to sauces, canned goods, and even bread are processed.

But you may not need to cut out all processed foods to improve your health, according to Giles Yeo, an obesity expert, researcher at the University of Cambridge, and author of the upcoming book "Why Calories Don't Count."

Even within the category of the biggest health offenders known as ultra-processed foods - foods like frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, and soda - there may be some ways to make smarter choices.

"I think the term ultra-processed is too broad. I think we're far better if we can talk about the nutritional content of the food," Yeo told Insider.

While we could all stand to eat fewer ultra-processed foods generally, steering clear of added sugar, salt, and fat in favor of options with more protein and fiber could help you manage your weight and improve your health, Yeo said.

Added sugar, salt, and fat are ingredients to avoid

To limit the harms of processed food, Yeo said it's helpful to steer clear of foods high in added sugar, salt, and fat, which may be some of the biggest culprits in health issues like obesity, chronic illness, and cancer.

Sugar, salt, and fat not only preserve a food to make it more convenient, but can also make it more palatable, driving us to eat more than we might otherwise.

Research shows ultra-processed food can lead us to eat up to 500 more calories a day.

Diet foods may not necessarily be healthier

Some processed foods that claim to be healthier can also be misleading, even diet foods with a so-called "health halo" of lower calories or fat.

Foods that cut calories or certain ingredients like sugar or fat may be compensating for it in ways that are also detrimental to health, like artificial sweeteners.

Yeo said we should consider the full context of what we eat, instead of focusing too much on cutting calories as an end goal.

"We eat food, not calories," he said.

If you do eat processed foods, added protein and fiber may be healthier options

Another strategy is to focus less on what to avoid and more on what to include, according to Yeo.

If you are going to eat processed food, focusing on options with fiber and protein can be helpful, he said. Protein and fiber can make you feel full for longer, and also take more energy to digest, making it easier for you to cut calories if you're trying to lose weight.

Examples of "easy wins" while still enjoying processed food would be having chocolate that contains nuts or dried fruit, or opting for whole-grain versions of frozen carb-rich foods like pizza or lasagna, Yeo said.

Protein supplements like shakes, bars or even cookies are also processed foods that can be beneficial too. The catch is that you need to watch out for extra sugar, since some can have as much as 20 grams of sugar per serving.

Getting enough protein and fiber in your diet - even if some of it comes from processed sources - can help you be more consistent about healthy eating.

Part of the problem is that healthier options are also expensive, making their more harmful counterparts more popular options for most people.

"I don't think making pre-packaged foods better for you needs to come at a premium," Yeo said. "We need to be asking how we can use the health information we have to make food more equitable."