Adult diets get lots of scrutiny for foods that can raise the risk of heart disease. Children’s meals and snacks often receive less attention, potentially impacting their future health.
Super-sweet cereals, processed lunch meats, cookies and chips are kid-favorites that can deliver added sugar, saturated fat, excessive salt and empty calories to a child’s menu.
Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, an interventional cardiologist in California, has three teen daughters and remembers the struggle to find quick, easy and appealing meals for the girls.
“I want them to live a long, healthy life, so now we’re more intentional about what we put on the table,” he told CNBC.com.
Heart Health Tip of the Day: Avoid Giving These 3 Foods to Kids
Bhojraj listed these “toxic” foods that are off the menu in his household:
Flavored Yogurts
The ones marketed for kids are often full of added sugars and artificial dyes, Bhojraj cautioned.
Processed Meats
They’re linked to an increased risk of heart disease, research has found.
Bacon, hot dogs and lunch meats are often loaded with sodium, preservatives and nitrates, Bhojraj noted.
“As a cardiologist, I’m terrified of what these compounds can do at a cellular level. They interfere with important compounds like nitric oxide, which regulates blood pressure and blood vessel health,” he warned.
Sugary Cereals and Drinks
No amount of added sugar is recommended for children younger than 11, according to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030. Adolescents should “significantly” limit the amount of sugary drinks they consume.
Why It Matters
Dietary habits are learned early in life, the American Heart Association notes.
It recommends a heart-healthy diet for children starting at 1 year of age, calling it important for “a favorable cardiovascular health trajectory throughout adulthood.”
Eating too much and moving too little leads to obesity, which now impacts 21% of children and adolescents in the U.S., the AHA says. Obesity also has a direct effect on the heart, raising the risk of heart disease.
How to Get Started
The healthiest cereal is 100% whole grain with as little added sugar as possible, dietitians say.
When choosing cereal for your kids, they advise buying plain whole grain, bran-based cereal and making it sweeter (if needed) by adding fruit, or a drizzle of honey or maple syrup so you can control how much sugar is added.
When it comes to the healthiest yogurt, Bhojraj prefers his daughters eat the plain Greek kind with a bit of honey and fresh berries added in. Greek and Icelandic yogurts contain heart-healthy fats and more protein than other types, dietitians note.
Rather than buying hot dogs or lunch meat for kids, Bhojraj advised serving them unprocessed protein like grilled chicken and plant-based proteins, such as lentils and quinoa.
“Most of all, lead by example. Kids are always watching, and what they see you do matters more than what you say,” he added.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
