How do ultraprocessed foods affect my child’s health?

There's a clear appeal of ultraprocessed, junk food like potato chips, sugary cereals and cookies: They're affordable and ready to eat. They also have a long shelf life – and kids like them. But a diet high in ultraprocessed foods can lead to a long list of health problems.

"In the more than 20 years I've been a doctor we've seen a tremendous increase in obesity and related conditions like high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar in kids," said Penn Laird II, M.D., Pediatric Cardiologist at Children's Health℠. "And the majority of those kids are eating a diet that's high in ultraprocessed foods."

But how do you limit the amount of junk food your child eats? And what exactly are ultraprocessed foods? Dr. Laird and clinical dietitians Kaitlyn Seabrook, RD, LD, and Halle Newell, RD, LD, CNSC, share some tips and insights.

What are ultraprocessed foods?

A "processed" food is a food that has been changed in some way before it's eaten. Processing can mean anything from rinsing and chopping to adding ingredients to make foods taste better and last longer.

"Most foods are processed in some way, and not all processed foods are tied to health problems," Seabrook said.

Health professionals often use a measurement system (called NOVA) to determine how processed a food is. This system has four categories:

• Group 1: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods, such as meat, eggs, and fresh, frozen or dried fruits and vegetables.

• Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients, typically used in home kitchens and restaurants such as oils, butter, vinegar and salt.

• Group 3: Processed foods, which combine ingredients from group 1 and group 2. This includes canned fruits and vegetables, smoked meats, canned fish and cheese.

• Group 4: Ultraprocessed foods, which include ingredients to improve taste and lengthen shelf life. Examples include chips, soda, and commercially produced breads and cookies.

"It's the foods that are ultraprocessed – and that typically have a lot of added salt and sugar but not a lot of nutritional value – that we want to limit," Newell said.

How to know if a food is ultraprocessed

An easy way to identify processed foods is by looking at the ingredients. If there is only one or a few ingredients (i.e. "carrots" or "chickpeas, tahini, olive oil") and they are items you'd find in a home kitchen, that is likely a minimally processed food.

When you see a long list of ingredients that you likely wouldn't find in your kitchen, that's often a sign that something is ultraprocessed. These are ingredients like:

• Sodium nitrates

• High fructose corn syrup

• Hydrogenated oils

• Soy lecithin

• Aspartame

• Soy protein isolate

Negative health effects of ultraprocessed foods

Many studies have shown that eating more ultraprocessed foods increases the risk of many health problems, including:

Metabolic problems: Obesity and type 2 diabetes

Ultraprocessed foods are often high in calories but low in nutrition value. And many times, they don't make you feel full – which makes it easy to eat way too much of them. If you eat way more calories than you need, you can increase your risk of obesity.

"Ultraprocessed foods are designed to taste good, with ingredients like added sugars and high fructose corn syrup. Those ingredients actually stimulate reward centers in the brain, which makes us want to eat more of them," Dr. Laird said.

Taking in more calories than you burn can also cause your body to make too much of a hormone called insulin. This can increase a child's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Heart problems

A diet high in ultraprocessed foods can also lead to:

• High blood pressure (hypertension), where the heart has to work harder to pump blood through the body. Over time, this can put extra strain on the heart and increase the risk of heart attack or heart failure.

• Hypertriglyceridemia, which happens when there are too many triglycerides (a type of fat) in the blood. Over time, this can narrow or block blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

"Kids don't usually have heart attacks or strokes," Dr. Laird said. “But some kids are now on track to develop serious heart problems much earlier than in the past – in their 30s and 40s."

How to help your child eat less processed foods

The benefits of eating fewer processed foods and following a heart-healthy diet may be clear to adults. But getting your child to choose carrot sticks over salty chips may be easier said than done. A few ways to reduce your child's intake of ultraprocessed foods include:

Getting your child's buy-in

It can be hard for kids to fully comprehend how their choices now will impact them when they're an adult. So, Newell will often talk to them about how healthier choices will impact them now, using phrases like:

• This will help you feel strong

• This will help you grow taller

• This will give you energy to play more

If they're hesitant to try healthier foods, you may consider:

• Slowly introducing foods. If your child is used to their daily meals or snacks including highly processed foods, try slowly reducing them rather than swapping them out all at once. This might mean making their snack a smaller serving of chips plus grapes, instead of just chips.

• Making their plate look fun and interesting. If you have time, arrange fruits and vegetables into designs or patterns. This can make children more likely to eat them.

• Serving vegetables with nutritious dips. These may include hummus, tzatziki and other Greek yogurt-based dips.

"It can be really hard to get your kid to try new things," Seabrook said. "But don't give up. It often takes multiple attempts to get kids to accept things. So even if they even take one bite, put that in the win column. Next time, they might take two bites and you can build from there."

Building healthy habits

Building a few habits can help limit the amount of processed foods your child eats, including:

• Sitting down for meals as a family as much as possible. Set meal times can help avoid too much snacking between meals or late at night.

• Having quick and healthy snack options ready to go.

• Modeling healthy eating habits for your child. If they see you finishing your vegetables and reaching for fruit instead of chips, they may do the same.

• Making dessert and fast food the exception, not the rule.

"Sometimes telling a child they can't eat cake or sugar can make them want it even more," Newell said. “So we always tell families everything in moderation. It's OK to have dessert or fast food on special occasions."

Stocking your fridge and pantry

Newell and Seabrook share some tips to fill your home with tasty, quick and affordable alternatives to processed foods:

• Shop the outside aisles of the grocery store first. Minimally processed foods are typically around the edges of the grocery store. If you're shopping with your child, encourage them to pick out a few fruits and vegetables they want to try.

• Check the labels of your staple foods. Foods like spaghetti sauce, yogurt, ketchup and salsas can be full of added sugar and salt. Try comparing the brand you usually buy with other brands. Then select the option with the lowest amount of added sugar and salt.

• Avoid temptation by not having ultraprocessed snacks in the house. Stock your pantry with whole grain crackers, dried fruits, and air-popped popcorn. Stock your fridge with low-sugar yogurt and pre-cut fruits and veggies.

• Use canned and frozen vegetables. This can be a more affordable and convenient option than buying fresh fruits and vegetables. Just make sure to rinse canned vegetables before serving to remove excess salt. And when buying canned fruit or fruit cups, look for the ones that are packaged in water or natural juices instead of syrup to manage the added sugars.

Learn more

Want to learn more about how to avoid processed foods and help your family build healthier habits? Read more about pediatric weight management programs, including Get Up & Go, COACH, bariatrics and nutrition clinics.