Toddler Foods Found High in Salt, Sugar

Many foods for toddlers contain high amounts of salt or added sugars, a new study shows. Researchers looked at information on more than 1,000 infant and toddler foods. The foods were commonly found in U.S. grocery stores in 2012. All but 2 of the infant foods were low in sodium (mainly salt). This was defined as less than 140 milligrams (mg) per serving. Except for mixed grains and fruits, most infant foods were free of added sugars. Foods marketed for toddlers were much more likely to contain excess salt and sugar. More than 70% of the toddler dinners were high in salt. This was defined as more than 210 mg per serving. One-third of the dinners had added sugar. Most of the snacks, desserts and juices for toddlers contained added sugar. Dried-fruit snacks were particularly sugar-dense. Sugars made up more than one-third of the calories for nearly 90% of these snacks.