Popular toddler snacks are getting kids ‘hooked on sugar’

Parents have been urged not to feed popular toddler snacks to their children.

A study of Australian toddler snacks found 85 per cent are ultra-processed, and eight-in-10 are sweetened.

Jennifer McCann from the Institute of Physical Activity and Nutrition, who conducted the research, said many popular toddler food products are no better than junk food.

“About 40 per cent of children’s diets are coming from discretionary foods, which is a sometimes food,” she told Ross and Russel.

“It’s really just getting them used to that sweet flavour and getting them hooked on sugar.”

Ms McCann urged parents to feed their children unprocessed foods instead.

“You don’t have to buy this special food,” she said.

“Just give them minimally processed whole foods.”

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