I still remember when my first child started solid foods, and I set out to stock our pantry with the quick snacks working moms like me rely on to bridge the gaps in between healthy meals. In the grocery store, I faced an entire wall of brightly colored boxes and pouches. The marketing promised “toddler favorites” and “kid-approved” treats, but a glance at the labels told another story: high saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium.
Those kinds of products are everywhere, and according to the American Heart Association’s latest Science Advisory on ultraprocessed foods (UPFs), they make up more than half of what we eat. In fact, data shows that UPFs account for 55% of daily calories for Americans age 1 and older, and nearly 62% for kids under 18.
Not all ultra-processed foods are the same. While some are loaded with sugar, fat, and sodium, others like whole grain bread, low-fat yogurt, and natural peanut butter can be part of a heart-healthy diet. The key is choosing wisely.
Not all ultra-processed foods are the same. While some are loaded with sugar, fat, and sodium, others like whole grain bread, low-fat yogurt, and natural peanut butter can be part of a heart-healthy diet. The key is choosing wisely. Many UPFs are high in saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium, and can be harmful to health. But some UPFs – such as whole grain bread, low-fat, low-sugar yogurt, and peanut butter without added sugars or hydrogenated oils – can be part of a heart-healthy diet. These foods can provide protein, fiber, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals, including folic acid, which supports healthy growth and development during pregnancy. This can feel confusing, because “ultraprocessed” is a broad category that covers everything from sugar-packed snack cakes to nutrient-rich staples. The key is to limit the unhealthy kinds while making space for the nutritious, convenient options that help families eat well.
The science is clear: the American Heart Association says people who eat the most ultraprocessed foods have a 25% to nearly 60% higher risk of developing serious health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes. They’re also significantly more likely to die early compared to people who eat the least number of unhealthy UPFs. These foods often push healthier options off the plate, which can affect a mother’s health during pregnancy and shape a child’s eating patterns for years to come.
One type of UPF that no one needs in their diet is sugary drinks. Sugary drinks – including sports drinks, lemonade, energy drinks, sweetened coffee and teas, fruit drinks with added sugars, and full-calorie soda – are the number one source of added sugars in the U.S. diet. Consuming too many sugary drinks can lead to harmful health effects, including heart disease, weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, tooth decay and cavities. That’s why the American Heart Association, along with national partners, recommends that children avoid sugary drinks completely and is working to reduce consumption through a variety of policy approaches.
SNAP and WIC help families put fruits and vegetables on the table — but benefits fall short. Expanding and fully funding these programs would mean healthier pregnancies and lifelong eating habits for kids.
For families, the solution to eating healthier starts with access. Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) make that possible. SNAP incentives and the WIC Cash Value Voucher (CVV) help parents and caregivers put fruits and vegetables in the cart instead of relying on the cheapest, least nutritious options.
SNAP benefits don’t come close to covering a month’s worth of healthy food, especially with rising food costs. Many families who could use the help either don’t qualify or can’t get through the long, complicated application process. Making things harder, Congress recently passed a bill that cuts SNAP benefits and blocks future increases to keep up with the cost of living. Lawmakers are also debating WIC funding, and some proposals could mean waitlists for the first time in 30 years, smaller fruit and vegetable benefits, and changes that take away some of WIC’s healthy food options.
Expanding SNAP benefits and fully funding WIC and the WIC CVV would give more parents the means to choose nourishing foods, support healthier pregnancies, and help toddlers build eating habits that last a lifetime.
As a mom of two kids under seven, I know the daily reality of trying to get healthy food into small, stubborn mouths. It’s not easy, even with resources. Without SNAP and WIC, too many parents will have no choice but to rely on the cheapest calories available – the very ultraprocessed foods we know can harm health.
If we’re serious about giving children the best start, we have to protect and strengthen nutrition programs like SNAP and WIC. Cutting them isn’t just cutting benefits. It’s cutting futures.
Katie Bishop Kendrick, MS, MPH, is the senior national advocacy consultant on the Voices for Healthy Kids team, which powers the National Collaborative for Infants & Toddlers. With more than 15 years of experience in nutrition policy, she has advanced health-focused policy change at the national, state, and local levels. Katie holds master’s degrees in nutrition and public health from Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Rhode Island. She lives in western Massachusetts with her husband, two young children, and their three-legged cat, Felix.
