Toddlers in the UK obtain nearly half (47%) of their calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and this rises to 59% by the age of seven, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.
The study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, looked at data from 2,591 children born in the UK in 2007 and 2008 whose parents recorded what their children ate and drank over three days.
The most common UPFs consumed by the toddlers (who were 21 months when their parents recorded their diets) were flavoured yoghurts and wholegrain breakfast cereals, products typically seen as healthy. By the age of seven, the most common UPFs were sweet cereals, white bread and puddings.
View: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-024-03496-7