Children's breakfast cereals are getting more unhealthy

American breakfast cereals, a centerpiece of children's morning consumption, have steadily become unhealthier. As a result, kids have been exposed to unhealthy amounts of sugar, sodium and fat, which could contribute to long-term health problems. And this is not the first time children's food has had its healthiness questioned.

The cereality

While cereals have been marketed as healthy, the label is rather misleading, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. The data revealed that between 2010 and 2023 cereals had "notable increases in fat, sodium and sugar alongside decreases in protein and fiber." In addition, they "contain high levels of added sugar, with a single serving exceeding 45% of the American Heart Association's daily recommended limit for children."

The study analyzed more than 1,000 cereals marketed toward children ages 5 to 12 years and found a 34% increase in fat content, a 32% increase in sodium content, and an 11% increase in sugar during the 13-year span. The trend shows a "potential prioritization of taste over nutritional quality in product development," said the study. "It reinforces my belief that the food marketplace is very confusing, and that's not by accident," Dr. Josephine Connolly-Schoonen, the executive director of the nutrition division at Stony Brook Medicine, said to The New York Times. The food industry "engineers the confusion."

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Ultraprocessed foods "laden with these additives have been associated with a myriad of negative health consequences, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and premature death," said CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen. Consuming high levels of sodium during childhood has been "linked to elevated blood pressure and other long-term health concerns," said Newsweek. "Protein, on the other hand, is essential for children because it supports growth, builds muscles and helps develop a strong immune system."

Beyond the bowl

Approximately a third of all American children eat cereal each morning, with it being the most common breakfast food for 5- to 12-year-olds, according to an analysis by the Department of Agriculture. Cereal is usually eaten alone without nutrient-dense fruit or protein.

Because childhood nutrition can set the tone for health problems and habits in the future, it's recommended to look for cereal labels that say 100% whole grain. It's also ideal to serve cereals that have "added sugar of less than nine grams per serving," said Wen. This is because 10 grams per serving would "already be 20% of the entire amount of added sugar someone is recommended to consume a day," in a 2000-calorie diet.

Breakfast cereal is also not the only child-focused food that has been shown to be less healthy than it might be. In 2024, an analysis found that 60% of food marketed to infants and toddlers failed to reach nutritional standards set by the World Health Organization.

These findings come at a time when Americans have become more concerned about the safety of their food, mainly through Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his "Make America Healthy Again" initiative. "We are betraying our children by letting [food] industries poison them," Kennedy said at a rally in November 2024. He has since called for the banning of certain synthetic food dyes and ultraprocessed foods. While many agree with his food reform measures, Kennedy has also been known to promote baseless claims such as vaccines causing autism and the healthfulness of drinking raw milk.