Parents shopping the toddler aisle may assume foods designed and marketed for young children meet special nutrition standards. A new grocery store audit suggests that assumption may not always hold.
Researchers found that 81% of toddler foods documented across 21 stores in Austin, Texas, were classified as ultraprocessed. Nearly half failed at least one nutrient standard developed by the World Health Organization for commercial foods marketed to children ages 6 to 36 months.
But the findings were more complicated than a simple processed-versus-unprocessed divide. Ultraprocessed products were more likely to exceed the sugar standard, while foods that exceeded limits for fat or calorie density were often less processed. Processing level was not significantly associated with whether products exceeded the sodium standard.
The preliminary research was presented at NUTRITION 2026, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, and has not yet undergone the full peer review required for publication in a scientific journal.
The study examined packaged foods available on store shelves. It did not measure what toddlers ate, how frequently families bought the products or whether they affected children’s growth or health.
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin photographed toddler foods sold at 21 grocery stores, including national and regional chains. Infant formula, beverages and purees commonly introduced as first foods were excluded.
They documented 2,783 product listings and sorted the foods into categories using the World Health Organization’s Nutrition and Promotion Profile Model. The model sets different standards for sugar, sodium, fat and energy density depending on the type of food.
The researchers also reviewed ingredient information and classified each product using NOVA, a system that groups foods according to how they are made and why certain ingredients are used.
Across the stores, 49% of the toddler foods failed at least one WHO nutrient standard. One-quarter exceeded the sodium standard, 17% exceeded the sugar standard, 12% exceeded the energy-density standard and 11% exceeded the fat standard.
Products highlighted in the news release included fruit pouches that were high in sugar, oat bars that were high in sugar and calories, macaroni and cheese that was high in sodium and fat and some snack puffs that exceeded standards for sodium, fat or calories.
“Many parents may assume that products sold on the baby/toddler food aisles of their grocery stores have to meet certain nutrient standards,” said Erin A. Hudson, the study’s presenting author. “Our findings highlight that half of the toddler foods available in local grocery stores do not.”
The WHO model is a public-health tool, not an enforceable U.S. rule. A product that exceeded one of its thresholds was not necessarily unsafe or illegally labeled.
The results also show why a single label such as “ultraprocessed” cannot provide a complete picture of a food’s nutritional value.
Toddler foods that exceeded the sugar standard had nearly four times the odds of being classified as ultraprocessed. But products that exceeded the fat or energy-density standards were less likely to be ultraprocessed, and processing level was not significantly related to sodium.
Some less-processed foods may be higher in fat or calories because they contain ingredients such as peanuts, cheese or meat. Those ingredients can provide protein and other nutrients along with fat and calories.
By contrast, some ultraprocessed products may contain more added or concentrated sugar without providing the same nutritional value. Still, the study did not compare the products’ vitamin, mineral, protein or overall nutrient content in a way that would allow every item to be ranked from best to worst.
The findings support looking at processing and nutrient content together rather than assuming either one tells the full story.
For shoppers, that may mean comparing added sugar, sodium, serving size and ingredients instead of relying only on front-of-package language or a product’s location in the toddler aisle.
The study should not be interpreted as a reason to avoid all packaged toddler foods. Convenience products can make feeding young children more manageable, especially when families are balancing work, child care, travel and limited preparation time.
The analysis also cannot show whether packaged toddler foods made up a large or small share of children’s overall diets. A product documented on a store shelf may rarely be purchased, while another may be eaten regularly.
The geographic scope was limited as well. All stores were located in Austin, so the results may not represent the products available in other cities, rural communities or regions with different retailers.
The abstract does not make clear whether identical foods sold at multiple stores were counted each time they appeared. That means the 2,783 listings should not automatically be interpreted as 2,783 unique products.
Hudson said clearer warning labels could help parents identify foods that exceed nutrient thresholds and could encourage manufacturers to reformulate products.
“During these critical early years of development, most parents are trying to feed their children healthfully but may be challenged to do so by the toddler food products available in their grocery stores,” she said.
For now, the study offers a more measured message than its headline numbers alone might suggest. Many toddler foods in the Austin stores were classified as ultraprocessed, and many exceeded at least one nutrient standard. But those two findings did not always overlap, reinforcing that processing level and nutrition quality are related without being interchangeable.
The researchers reported no external funding.