Med x Decode

EP83: Toddler Meltdowns? Check the Snacks

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Being a parent to a 3-year-old is literally a full-time job with zero breaks and a lot of screaming. No joke, those "convenient" chicken nuggets might be the hidden reason your kid’s tantrums are getting out of control.



This study of 2,077 Canadian children reveals that high consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) at age 3 is linked to increased anxiety, withdrawal, and hyperactivity by age 5. Replacing just 10% of these processed calories with minimally processed foods significantly improves behavioral scores.


References

  • Kavanagh, M. E., Chen, Z. H., Tamana, S. K., Moraes, T. J., Simons, E., Turvey, S. E., Subbarao, P., Mandhane, P. J., & Miliku, K. (2026). Ultraprocessed food consumption and behavioral outcomes in Canadian children. JAMA Network Open, 9(3), e260434. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.0434

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