Packaged foods marketed for toddlers and babies contain far too much sugar and salt, and kids who eat them may be more at risk for future obesity and health risks. Researchers at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed more than 1,000 foods to find seven in 10 toddler dinners had too much salt, and that most cereal bars, breakfast pastries and snacks for infants and toddlers contained sugar amounts well above the recommended limits. With all these empty calories, perhaps it’s no surprise that one in four U.S. children ages 2 to 5 are overweight or obese. Almost 80 percent of kids between 1 to 3 exceed 1,500 milligrams of salt daily, the recommended maximum level.
Source: “Most packaged food for toddlers has too much sugar and salt, CDC says,” by Associated Press, February 2, 2015, Foxnews.com.