(Radio Iowa) – Many of us woof down an occasional hot dog, but a health care professional is urging Iowans not to make a steady diet of what are known as ultra-processed foods. Cindy Lueck, a registered dietician at Gundersen Health System, says there are whole aisles of ultra-processed foods in many supermarkets. Besides hot dogs, the list includes soft drinks, deli meats, packaged cookies, other packaged desserts and more.

Lueck wouldn’t go so far as to say these foods are dangerous, but she says they’re miles from being close to beneficial.

Cindy Leuck (Gundersen photo)

Having a packaged cookie or a soft drink now and then won’t likely do much harm, but Lueck says if you make a routine of eating this type of food, the bad habit will eventually catch up to you.

For most of us, it’s tough to completely avoid ultra-processed foods, but she says it can become a problem is someone makes a practice of eating that type of food all the time.