Almost a fifth (19%) of Northern Ireland pre-school children’s daily diet consists of unhealthy treat foods including biscuits, crisps, cakes, sweets, and chocolate, new START campaign research has revealed.
The research also found that a child’s daily calorie intake from unhealthy treat foods increased as they get older with a quarter (25%) of local primary school children’s daily diet consisting of treats that are high in fat, sugar, and salt.
Currently a quarter of children aged 2-15 years in Northern Ireland are reported to be overweight (20%) or obese (6%), with the study showing that treat foods like biscuits, chocolate, soft drinks, and savoury snacks contributed significantly to the total intakes of saturated fat and added sugar among children.
