Introduction: the simultaneous increase in the prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases and in the consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPF) suggests a possible relationship between UPF and cardiometabolic risk (CMR). Objective: to evaluate the association between food consumption, according to the degree of processing, and CMR in young adults. Methods: this is a comparative cross-sectional study in 120 Brazilian young adults aged 18-25 years, categorized by the presence of CMR. Food consumption was investigated using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, and classified according to the extent of food processing. Food groups and tertiles in grams of unprocessed, minimally processed (MPF), processed and ultra-processed foods (UPF) were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The associations of food consumption, according to level of processing (MPF and UPF), with CMR components were evaluated using logistic regression models. Results: a high caloric contribution of UPF was observed in the diet of this study population. The total energy intake from lipids in all foods (p = 0.04) and in UPF (p = 0.03) was greater in the group with CMR. A greater consumption of UPF was a risk factor for abdominal obesity (OR = 1.09; 95 % CI = 1.00-1.18) while a greater consumption of MPF was protective for LDL-c alterations independently of sex, physical activity, and alcohol intake (OR = 0.70; 95 % CI = 0.50-0.98). Conclusions: UPF contributed to a greater caloric intake from fat in the CMR, and was a risk factor for abdominal obesity. MPF was an independent protective factor for LDL-c alterations.