Toddlers get almost half their calories from ultra-processed foods
Kids in the US aren’t the only ones eating too many ultra-processed foods (UPFs). A new study led by the University College London finds that toddlers eat 47% of their total calories from UPFs with a rise to 59% by the time they’re seven years old. Sweet cereals, puddings, and white bread were among the most common.
Data from nearly 2600 children born in the UK between 2007 and 2008 was published in the European Journal of Nutrition. The children’s parents recorded their children’s diet histories over three days, including food and beverages.
Some of the most commonly consumed foods by toddlers (aged 21 months at the time their diets were recorded) included flavored yogurt and whole-grain cereals, which are usually considered healthy. As the children got to the age of seven, sweet cereals, puddings, and white bread were more common.
Lead author Dr Rana Conway, of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, said: "Ultra-processed foods are not all bad for our health and the foods typically eaten by the toddlers in our study are ones that are seen as quite healthy.”
She notes that some wholegrain cereals and flavored yogurts contain excess added sugar and salt. Her study found that toddlers who ate these foods had higher intakes of both ingredients. Toddlers generally consume more salt and sugar than is advised.
Conway is also concerned that consumption of UPFs will discourage young tastebuds away from natural foods and reduce the chance for healthy eating as kids grow up.
Senior author Professor Clare Llewellyn, of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, said: "Eating patterns in the early years are important, as they help set habits that can persist through childhood and into adulthood. This was reflected in our findings, with 21-month-olds who ate more ultra-processed foods also likely to be higher consumers of ultra-processed foods at the age of seven."
Data from the Gemini twin cohort study was evaluated using the Nova classification for UPFs, which divides them into four groups: unprocessed or minimally processed foods (eggs, milk, vegetables, fish and fruit); processed culinary ingredients (salt, butter and oil); processed foods (tinned fish, peanut butter and cheese); and UPFs (cereals, yogurts, industrially made sliced bread, biscuits, sausages, chips).
Emulsifiers, colorings, and sweeteners are used often in UPFs but rarely in home cooked food. More information on the Nova scale may be found here: world.openfoodfacts.org/nova
Young subjects were separated into five groups based on their UPF intake. Toddlers in the lowest UPF group ate 28% of their calories from UPFs, and the highest group consumed 69% of calories from UPFs.
Researchers also discovered that UPF intake at 21 months was indicative of UPF consumption by seven years of age. Children who ate the most UPFs were 9.4 times more likely to be in the top tier of UPF intake by age seven compared to those who were in the lowest group of UPF intake. The hyperpalatable characteristics of UPFs were likely responsible for this shift. Most UPFs are higher in sugar, fat, and salt.
Intake of added sugars were above the UK government’s recommended maximum intake of 5% of daily calories in all five groups studied. Sugar consumption exceeded 10% on average in the two highest UPF groups, according to the research.
Policies to revamp children’s diets with few UPFs such as limiting the promotion of unhealthy foods geared towards children, including warning labels on products, and offering fresh and less processed food to families have been requested by the researchers.
Dr Conway said: "It's not easy to feed children healthily in our current food environment. Highly processed foods are often cheaper than the foods parents would like to give their children, such as fresh fruit and vegetables.
In addition, Conway notes, “Despite labels suggesting they're a healthy choice, ultra-processed foods marketed for children often contain too much sugar and salt. This makes it harder for parents to make healthy choices."
The researchers also noted that other commercial products targeted towards children were not classified as UPFs because they didn’t contain typical UPF ingredients included vegetable sticks or puffs or cookie-type snacks.
Exposure of these foods may not encourage vegetable intake despite the foods’ nutritional content being healthy, because it was void of added salt or sugar. The researchers stated that one limitation to their study was the population, which was predominantly while and higher socioeconomic status.
How Can We Limit UPFs in Kids’ Diets?
1. Be a role model. Kids eat what they see their parents and caregivers eating. Limit exposure to UPFs when kids are young and as they grow.
2. Don’t use food for rewards. Using foods like candy or other snacks can set up a poor relationship with food in the long run.
3. Read labels for added sugar in foods. Four grams of added sugar is the equivalent of 1 tsp. Look for foods with under 5 grams of added sugar per serving when possible.
4. Serve fresh or frozen fruit for dessert in place of high-sugar desserts.
5. Limit breakfast cereals with artificial colors and excess added sugar. Oatmeal anyone?
6. Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages and encourage water with and between meals.
7. Monitor kids’ exposure to food and beverage ads that target children.
8. Offer food in its whole form when possible (i.e. chicken breast in place of chicken nuggets or “fingers”).
9. Limit use of frozen pizzas, fries, breakfast pastries, snack chips and other UPFs.
10. Encourage curiosity about where food comes from! Visit a ranch or farm to teach kids about agriculture. Bring them to the grocery or farmer’s market, too.
Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD
Reference:
Rana E. Conway, Gabriella N. Heuchan, Lisa Heggie, Fernanda Rauber, Natalie Lowry, Hannah Hallen, Clare H. Llewellyn. Ultra-processed food intake in toddlerhood and mid-childhood in the UK: cross sectional and longitudinal perspectives. European Journal of Nutrition, 2024; DOI: 10.1007/s00394-024-03496-7