Grocery Store Food for Toddlers Is Mostly Ultraprocessed
Packaged Foods for Kids Often Fall Short of Global Nutrition Standards
The first years of life help shape lifelong eating habits, making nutrition especially important during infancy and toddlerhood. Yet new research presented at the American Society for Nutrition's Nutrition 2026 meeting suggests that the majority of packaged foods marketed specifically for toddlers are ultraprocessed, and nearly half fail to meet at least one nutrient standard established by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The study complements earlier peer-reviewed research from the European Journal of Nutrition, which found that toddlers in the United Kingdom obtain nearly half of their daily calories from ultraprocessed foods—a proportion that increases substantially by middle childhood. Together, the studies suggest that ultraprocessed foods are becoming a dominant part of children's diets during a critical stage of growth and development.
Key Data
Researchers evaluated 2,783 packaged food products marketed for children 6–36 months old from 21 grocery stores in Austin, Texas. Infant formula, beverages, and first-food purees were excluded.
According to the internationally recognized NOVA food classification system, 81% of the products were classified as ultraprocessed.
Of all products intended for young children, 49% failed to meet at least one nutrient standard in the WHO Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model for commercial foods.
WHO recommendations for sodium content were exceeded by 25% of products.
WHO recommendations for sugar content were exceeded by 17% of products.
While 11% exceeded recommended fat levels, 12% failed to meet WHO recommendations for energy density.
Examples of products exceeding WHO recommendations included fruit pouches (high in sugar), oat bars (high in sugar and calories), macaroni and cheese (high in sodium and fat), turkey sticks (high in sodium and fat), and cheese or peanut butter puffs (high in calories, sodium, and/or fat).
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