You’ve been warned about processed foods (as opposed to whole foods) because research has shown us time and again that a diet rich in a processed foods is often high in added sugar, sodium, and trans fats and, therefore, comes with a higher risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

So what the heck is a processed food? Essentially, a processed food is just anything that’s been deliberately altered in some way before you eat it, which could mean that it’s been frozen, dried, or artificially formulated from scratch into a microwaveable dinner.

But obviously there are significant nutritional differences between a processed food like frozen peas and a processed food like chicken nuggets.

Now, a new study looked at how processed foods were associated with someone’s overall health. And to do so, they looked specifically at what are called “ultra-processed” foods.

It’s a term that other researchers have used before to differentiate between the many shades of gray associated with processed foods. And the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics similarly breaks down the variety under the umbrella of “processed” foods.

For this particular study, published recently in the BMJ, the researchers defined “ultra-processed” foods really by what they aren’t more than by what they are. They aren’t “unprocessed or minimally processed foods” (e.g. fresh veggies, rice, meat, and eggs). They aren’t “processed culinary ingredients” (such as salt, butter, or sugar). Nor are they “processed foods,” which includes foods like canned vegetables with added salt, canned fruits with added sugar, cheeses, and meats preserved only by the addition of salt.

As such, “ultra-processed” foods tend to be mass produced packaged goods, such as sodas, packaged sweet and savory snacks, instant noodles, chicken nuggets, and frozen meals. It’s still a huge group of foods, but breaking out these types of industrialized snacks and treats does make sense.

“These are foods that have a lot of added sugar, salt, and fat,” Lisa R. Young, Ph.D., R.D., adjunct professor of nutrition at NYU Steinhardt, tells SELF. Additionally, these foods are often made from processed substances that are extracted or refined from whole foods, like oils, hydrogenated oils, fats, flours, starches, variants of sugar, and cheap parts or remnants of animal foods, Ruth Kava, Ph.D., senior nutrition fellow at the American Council on Science and Health, tells SELF. Basically, they have limited nutritional value and even when you are getting some protein (in those chicken nuggets, for example), you’re also getting a bunch of stuff you probably don’t want (e.g. sodium and maybe trans fats) and lots of calories in exchange for limited satiety.

“Most are made, advertised, and sold by large or transnational corporations and are very durable, palatable, and ready to consume,” she adds, “which is an enormous commercial advantage over fresh and perishable whole or minimally processed foods.” They’re everywhere, they taste great, and are aggressively marketed to the public, which makes it pretty unrealistic to think you’ll always be able to turn down these foods in favor of their healthier cousins.

Are they convenient? Oh yeah. Are they delicious? Absolutely. Should they make up the bulk of your diet? Probably not.

It’s pretty safe to assume that “ultra-processed” foods are foods you already know aren’t great for you. But it helps to think of processed foods as existing on a spectrum—and to recognize that they aren’t all equally bad.

Overall, it’s a good idea to limit how much of these foods you eat and opt for more fresh, minimally-processed, and homemade foods, Bernard Srour, Pharm.D., one of the authors on the new study and a Ph.D. candidate researcher with the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research, tells SELF.

For the study, Srour and other researchers analyzed daily food data for 104,980 people who participated in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort between 2009 and 2017, an ongoing online survey that studies the link between nutrition and health. They found that as the amount of ultra-processed food people ate increased, so did their risk for cancer. If they increased the amount of ultra-processed foods they ate by 10 percent during the study, their cancer risk also went up by more than 10 percent.

But this is the first prospective study to assess a person’s cancer risk alongside their ultra processed foods habit, and way more research needs to be done before any definitive conclusions can be made, says Srour. It’s also worth noting that the study didn’t prove that eating ultra-processed foods actually causes cancer—just that people who developed cancer at some point were also a little more likely to eat ultra-processed foods.

“People should not be alarmed by this,” Srour says.

Of course, considering how inexpensive and freely available processed (and ultra-processed) foods are, it’s not super realistic to think that everyone can steer clear of them.

And you don’t really need to avoid them entirely. In general, experts advise that minimally processed foods should make up the majority of our diets (meaning those nutrient-rich fresh veggies, lean meats, and the like). But cooking three fresh meals from fresh ingredients every day (plus snacks, of course) is a lot to ask for basically anyone, especially those of us with full-time jobs and other obligations.

So, thinking of foods on a spectrum like these researchers describe (with unprocessed fresh foods on one end and ultra-processed foods on the other) is helpful in that it highlights the fact that just because something is processed in some way doesn’t make it inherently awful for you, even if there are ways in which foods may be processed that are more likely to be harmful. Some lightly-processed foods—canned fruit, frozen veggies, sliced cheese, canned tuna—are actually full of nutrients and way more convenient than their totally fresh and whole alternatives. Plus, with some minimal label reading, you can make sure you’re getting versions of those that don’t have added sugar (in your frozen fruit) or sodium (in your canned beans or tuna).

Even when it comes to ultra-processed foods, they can be a totally fine (although preferably small) part of your overall diet. “When consumed in small amounts and with other healthy sources of calories, ultra-processed products are harmless,” Kava says. “It’s not problematic if you have the occasional treat,” Young adds.

In fact, allowing yourself those treats may make it easier for you to choose more nutritious options at other times. Not to mention, the entire idea of sorting foods into “good” and “bad” categories may be problematic or triggering for those with a history of disordered eating. So, as much as possible, keep your expectations reasonable and your food choices balanced—whatever that means for you.