**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CURRENT ISSUE/PROGRAM AND SO WHAT?ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS (UPF) MAKE UP ABOUT 56-67% OF THE DIETARY CONSUMPTION OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. THEY CONTAIN LITTLE TO NO WHOLE FOODS AND INCLUDE FROZEN AND PREPARED MEALS, MOST PACKAGED SNACKS, DESSERTS, AND CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS. ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS ARE THOUGHT TO PROMOTE EXCESS ENERGY INTAKE BECAUSE THEY ARE LESS SATIATING YET HIGHLY PALATABLE, HAVE HIGHER ENERGY DENSITY, AND ARE LOW IN FIBER. HOWEVER, THE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS CLAIM IS LIMITED AND THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF FOODS HAS NOT BEEN CONSIDERED WITHIN AND BETWEEN PROCESSING LEVELS. THEREFORE, DIETARY GUIDANCE REGARDING UPF IS LACKING FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING WHETHER SOME UPF MAY ALIGN WITH THE US DIETARY GUIDELINES AND DO NOT POSE THE SAME RISK AS THOSE UPF THAT DO NOT ALIGN WITH THE US DIETARY GUIDELINES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TIMELY AS PRESSURE MOUNTS TO INCLUDE GUIDANCE ABOUT UPF IN UPCOMING US DIETARY GUIDELINES.METHODS/APPROACHES THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THISPROJECT IS TO ADD TO THE EVIDENCE BASE ABOUT UPF AND NUTRITIONAL CONTENT, AND THEIR IMPACT ON EATING BEHAVIORS. IT AIMS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OVER-CONSUMPTION OF UPF IS RELATED TO PROCESSING LEVEL OR IF UPF THAT ALIGN WITH THE US DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS ARE LOWER RISK THAN THOSE THAT DO NOT. DURING THIS STUDY, TEST MEALS WILL BE DEVELOPED AND ASSESSED, AND THEN CONSUMED UNDER CONTROLLED LABORATORY CONDITIONS BY PARTICIPANTS USING THE UNIVERSAL EATING MONITOR, THE GOLD-STANDARD MEASURE IN EATING BEHAVIORS RESEARCH. THE STUDY IS A RANDOMIZED CROSSOVER TRIAL THAT WILL TEST THREE DIFFERENT MEALS VARYING IN TERMS OF UPF CONTENT AND NUTRITIONAL QUALITY. ENERGY INTAKE, SATIATING EFFICIENCY, EATING RATE, AND GLYCEMIC RESPONSES WILL ALL BE EXAMINED.IMPACT AND SOCIETAL BENEFITSTHESE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS WILL BE THE BASIS FOR LONGER-TERM UPF-RELATED INTERVENTIONS, INCLUDING RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALS ASSESSING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN UPF INTAKE AND RELEVANT HEALTH MARKERS. THISSTUDY CAN BE THE FOUNDATION FOR DESIGNING DIETS HIGH IN UPF, WHICH MAY BE MORE CONVENIENT AND ACCESSIBLE AND LESS COSTLY, AND HIGH IN NUTRITIONAL QUALITY AND FIBER. THESE LONGER-TERM UPF STUDIES WILL ALSO INTEGRATE CONSUMER EDUCATION THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT NUTRITIONAL QUALITY BASED ON THE US DIETARY GUIDELINES. THIS IS OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE WHEN TRYING TO ADDRESS HOW DIET AND NUTRITION CAN IMPACT CHRONIC DISEASES SUCH AS OBESITY, DIABETES, AND CORONARY HEART DISEASE. ADDITIONALLY, IT IS CRITICAL TO KNOW HOW UPF CAN BE INCORPORATED IN A HEALTHY MANNER ALIGNS WITH USDA'S GOALS AND PRIORITY AREAS OF SATISFYING HEALTHY FOOD AND FIBER NEEDS IN A WAY THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AMERICANS.