Choosing+nutritious+foods

Foods decorated with cartoon characters are designed to appeal to young children. However they can be of poorer nutritional quality than standard foods. Extra sugar is often added to breakfast cereals, yogurts and desserts to satisfy young children’s preference for sweet foods.

Pre-prepared toddler foods that are found in the baby aisles of supermarkets must comply with strict regulations on their nutrient content. If a food is labelled as suitable for an infant or toddler under three years of age (e.g. 10+ months) it must comply with regulations on nutrient content including a minimum level of certain key nutrients and a maximum limit on salt, sodium, fat and sugar. They must also comply with a very low maximum limit on pesticides.

Foods without age indications do not have to comply with these regulations. Therefore yogurts, puddings and other foods that are not marked with an age recommendation, but sold in packaging that is clearly aimed at young children, will not be limited in the amount of sugar, fat or salt added nor have to have a minimum nutrient content.