A phrase I really hate is "processed foods", especially with modifiers like "highly processed", "ultra-processed", etc.

Yes, many "ultra-processed foods" are very unhealthy. But it depends on *how* the food was processed, not just that it was.

Chopping a carrot is processing it.

Peeling and grating it is processing it more.

Putting it in a blender is processing it even more than that.

And none of these processes significantly changes how your body deals with it.

Adding a pinch of salt to a carrot is arguably *less* processing than any of the above and has a greater impact on its nutritional value (maybe good, maybe bad; depending on if you need more salt right now).

So yes, "ultra-processed" foods are often bad because a whole lot of crap is added to them, and sometimes even good properties/nutrients are removed through the processing. But it's the specific processes that matter, not just how much processing happened.