Study: Baby food in US supermarkets is full of nutrient-poor foods

WASHINGTON (TN) — According to a new study just published in the journal Nutrients, the baby food aisle is full of nutrient-poor foods that contain too much sugar and salt.

This particular study examined the World Health Organization’s nutrition and advertising guidelines, but Lauren Dunaway, a registered dietitian and professor at Tulane University, explains that in the United States, we have our own guidelines that are separate from those of the WHO.

They are called the Dietary Guidelines and are a joint project of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services,” Dunaway said.

For this reason, she has some doubts about the study which suggests that 60% of foods marketed to children aged between 6 and 36 months contain too much sugar and salt and misleading advertising claims.

How do they define ‘healthy’ and how do they define misleading claims,” Dunaway said.

Regan Bailey, a mother and nutritionist at Texas A&M University, says when shopping for baby and toddler food, it’s best to avoid products with lots of added sugar and high sodium content.

You want to limit sodium as much as possible, so don’t add it and look for products and compare them with lower sodium amounts,” Bailey said.

Despite some skepticism, she is convinced that it is safe to give children food packaged in pouches as long as it contains good ingredients.

They are a safe and nutritious way to help children meet dietary recommendations,” Bailey said.

Bailey also says that solid foods are recommended from around 12 months of age, so instead of just using pre-packaged products, it’s also possible to cut food into smaller pieces.