Study finds widespread nutrition concerns in packaged toddler foods

An audit of toddler foods sold at 21 grocery stores in Texas revealed that 4 out of 5 products were ultra-processed and 49% of all products failed to meet at least one nutrient standard established by the World Health Organization (WHO) Nutrition and Promotion Profile Model (NPPM) for commercial foods intended for children aged 6-36 months.

The findings come as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering new guidelines for front-of-package nutrition labels, healthy claims and marketing of food products to children. The United States does not currently require warning labels on any food products that are high in sugar, sodium or calories.

Many parents may assume that products sold on the baby/toddler food aisles of their grocery stores have to meet certain nutrient standards. Our findings highlight that half of the toddler foods available in local grocery stores do not. As a result, parents have to be vigilant in checking labels and ingredients to determine the nutrient content and processing level of products for their toddlers."

Erin A. Hudson, JD, ASN Science Policy Fellow and PhD candidate, The University of Texas at Austin

Hudson will present the findings at NUTRITION 2026, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held July 25–28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Hudson conducted the study with Marissa Burgermaster, PhD, assistant professor at The University of Texas at Austin.

The foods children consume during the toddler years can shape taste preferences and dietary habits that persist throughout childhood, influencing long-term health. High sugar intake, in particular, is well established as harmful to the health of young children. According to the study, ultra-processed products were significantly more likely to be high in sugar than less-processed products.

Researchers photographed the baby/toddler aisles at 21 grocery stores in Austin, Texas, and analyzed the nutritional content of products marketed as suitable for children age 6 to 36 months. Infant formula, beverages and purees commonly introduced as first foods were excluded from the sample.

Of 2,783 products analyzed, 81% were classified as ultra-processed according to the Nova classification system. Seventeen percent of products failed to meet the WHO recommended nutrient content levels for sugar, 25% failed for sodium, 11% failed for fat content and 12% failed for energy density. Examples of foods exceeding these recommendations include fruit pouches (high in sugar), oat bars (high in sugar and calories), mac and cheese (high in sodium and fat), turkey sticks (high in sodium and fat), cheese puffs (high in calories), and peanut butter puffs (high in sodium, fat and calories).

Some previous studies have linked ultra-processed foods to poor health outcomes regardless of their nutrient content, although it remains unclear which aspects of ultra-processed foods may contribute to those outcomes. Researchers noted that the higher fat and calorie content of some less-processed products largely reflects whole-food ingredients, such as peanuts or beef, which contribute fat while also being nutrient-dense. By contrast, ultra-processed toddler foods were more often high in sugar without additional nutritional benefits, strengthening the case for limiting the number of products that toddlers consume from this category.

"During these critical early years of development, most parents are trying to feed their children healthfully but may be challenged to do so by the toddler food products available in their grocery stores," said Hudson. "Warning labels on products exceeding nutrient thresholds could help parents navigate the toddler food environment and might encourage manufacturers to reformulate these products."

Researchers noted that their methodology focused solely on packaged products parents encounter on grocery shelves and does not necessarily capture the full spectrum of what parents ultimately feed their toddlers.