Nutritional components and children's interpretations of packaged food

Recent policy recommendations encourage efforts to support children's healthy dietary choices, particularly in light of concerns over the marketing of foods to children and the link between diet and noncommunicable disease. This study conducted focus groups with children to examine what is salient to them when identifying the health qualities of packaged foods. Twelve focus groups of 4-6 participants (divided by age and gender) were conducted with children in grades 1-6. When asked to consider how to make healthy' and less healthy' packaged food choices, children focused primarily on sugar, salt, fat, fibre, and calories. Sugar was deemed unhealthy across the grades, but was re-categorized as healthy in forms other than white sugar (e.g., honey, brown sugar). Fibre was designated as healthy. Sodium and fat signalled an unhealthy food for grades 1-2, but was deemed acceptable in lower' amounts for grades 3-6 children. Calories were interpreted as less healthy' when associated with fat and sugar, and healthier' when viewed as energy. Boys were more concerned with fat and calories compared to girls who did not favour any particular nutritional component. Although children may not be expected to use nutritional components to classify foods as healthy' or less healthy', and previous research demonstrates they are not developmentally ready to navigate such abstract concepts, this study shows that children nonetheless use nutritional components to support their packaged food choices. The research raises questions about how to help children make healthy' packaged food choices under current food labelling practices.