A study led by researchers from University College London reveals concerning trends in the diets of toddlers and young children in the UK, with findings suggesting that a significant portion of their daily calorie intake comes from ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
Published in the European Journal of Nutrition, the study tracked the eating habits of 2,591 children born in 2007 and 2008, showing the nutritional landscape from infancy to early childhood.
Key findings and concerns
According to the study, toddlers as young as 21 months consume nearly half of their daily calories from UPFs. By the age of seven, this figure jumps to 59%. Ultra-processed foods commonly consumed by these young children include flavoured yoghurts and wholegrain breakfast cereals, often perceived as healthy choices by parents. However, the study shows that these products can contain high levels of added sugars and salts, contributing to concerns about excessive intake of these ingredients among toddlers.
Lead author Dr. Rana Conway from UCL’s Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care emphasised that while not all UPFs are inherently bad, their high consumption in early childhood could set troubling dietary patterns.
“Aside from sugar and salt, a diet that includes a lot of ultra-processed food is less likely to get children used to the natural flavours of whole foods and therefore less likely to encourage healthy eating later in life, ” Dr. Conway stated.
Long-term impact
The study highlights the importance of early dietary habits in shaping lifelong eating behavious. Professor Clare Llewellyn, senior author of the study, noted, “Eating patterns in the early years are important, as they help set habits that can persist through childhood and into adulthood. ”
The research found that toddlers who consumed higher amounts of UPFs at 21 months were significantly more likely to continue this pattern into their seventh year.
Recommendations
In response to these findings, researchers support for policy interventions aimed at improving children’s diets. Suggestions include stricter regulations on the marketing of unhealthy foods targeted at children, clearer labelling indicating high sugar content, and subsidies to make fresh and minimally processed foods more affordable for families.
Dr. Conway highlighted the challenges parents face in navigating food choices, noting that despite efforts to choose healthy options, many processed foods marketed for children still contain excessive sugar and salt. “It’s not easy to feed children healthily in our current food environment.” she explained.
“Highly processed foods are often cheaper than the foods parents would like to give their children, such as fresh fruit and vegetables.“
Moving forward, the researchers emphasise the need for more awareness and action to shift children’s diets away from reliance on ultra-processed foods. They warn that early exposure to these foods, even those marketed as healthy alternatives, may hinder children’s acceptance of natural flavors found in whole foods, potentially impacting long-term health outcomes.
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