In today's fast-paced world, many families are busier than ever, leaving less time to prepare meals for their children, while instant, ready-to-eat and prepackaged foods are becoming increasingly popular. In just a few minutes, parents can prepare a packet of instant noodles, a sausage, a box of biscuits, a carton of flavored milk, a packet of snacks, packaged fruit juice or a ready-made portion of fried chicken. These options are convenient, readily available and generally appealing to children. For adults, they offer a quick way to "sort out" a snack or even a main meal. However, when these foods appear too frequently in children's diets, short-term convenience may come at the expense of long-term health, eating habits and development.

Ultra-processed foods are products manufactured through multiple industrial processing stages, often containing ingredients rarely used in home cooking, such as sweeteners, colorings, flavorings, emulsifiers, preservatives, flavor enhancers or refined forms of sugar, starch, fat and protein. Not all packaged foods are unhealthy, nor do all industrially manufactured products need to be completely eliminated. The concern is that many ultra-processed foods are often energy-dense and high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, while containing little dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and naturally occurring components that benefit health. When children consume these foods too frequently, their diets can easily become unbalanced.

What is concerning is that ultra-processed foods are no longer limited to easily recognizable "snack foods" such as packaged snacks, confectionery, soft drinks, sausages, French fries or instant noodles. Many products specifically designed for children may also fall into this category, including baby biscuits, sweetened breakfast cereals, high-sugar drinking yogurts, packaged fruit juices, biscuits labeled "fortified with calcium," "energy-boosting" drinks, ice cream, jelly, vitamin gummies and packaged foods featuring eye-catching cartoon characters.

Packaging often uses phrases such as "nutritious," "vitamin-fortified," "made from fruit," "milk-flavored," "supports height growth," "boosts intelligence" or "convenient for children," making parents feel reassured. However, a closer examination of nutrition labels reveals that many of these products contain relatively high amounts of sugar, salt or fat compared with children's nutritional needs.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of ultra-processed foods. First, their taste preferences are still developing. Frequent exposure to excessively sweet, salty or fatty tastes, or strong artificial flavorings, can cause children to become accustomed to "intense flavors" and lose interest in natural foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, eggs, legumes, lean meat or lightly seasoned steamed, boiled and braised dishes.

Many parents complain that their children refuse to eat vegetables, dislike fish or find home-cooked meals bland, yet eagerly eat sausages, fried chicken, packaged snacks, instant noodles or soft drinks. This is not simply a matter of children being "fussy eaters" but may result from their taste preferences being shaped by the highly appealing flavors of industrially manufactured foods.

Second, ultra-processed foods are often easy to consume quickly and may not provide lasting satiety. Children can finish a packet of biscuits or drink a carton of soft drink very quickly, yet still fail to obtain sufficient protein, dietary fiber and essential micronutrients. Foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates may give children a quick feeling of being "full of energy," but they may also become hungry again soon afterward, experience further cravings or become irritable as blood glucose levels fluctuate.

If children's snacks regularly consist of confectionery, soft drinks, sweetened milk or packaged snacks instead of fresh fruit, low-sugar milk, low-sugar yogurt, potatoes, eggs, corn, age-appropriate nuts or homemade snacks, their overall daily diets may easily provide excess energy while remaining nutritionally inadequate.

Third, frequent consumption of ultra-processed foods over a prolonged period may increase the risk of overweight, obesity and metabolic disorders. These consequences do not arise from eating fried chicken or drinking soft drinks just a few times, but from the cumulative effects of repeated dietary habits.

When children regularly consume energy-dense foods high in sugar and fat while engaging in little physical activity, getting insufficient sleep and spending excessive time using screens, their bodies are more likely to accumulate excess fat. Childhood overweight should not be viewed as an undesirable physical appearance deserving criticism, but rather as a health issue that can affect endurance, sleep, mobility, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, blood lipid levels and the risk of developing chronic diseases later in life.

Ultra-processed foods are also associated with the risk of tooth decay, constipation and micronutrient deficiencies. Frequent consumption of sugary drinks, confectionery, cakes, packaged fruit juices or high-sugar milk drinks may increase the risk of tooth decay, particularly when children sip these beverages throughout the day or drink them before bedtime without practicing proper oral hygiene.

Fast food, packaged snacks, instant noodles and sausages are generally low in dietary fiber. If these foods replace vegetables, fruits and whole grains in children's diets, they may contribute to constipation. Importantly, a child may continue gaining weight while still being deficient in iron, zinc, vitamin D, calcium, folate or other micronutrients essential for immune function and development if their diet contains insufficient vegetables, fruits, fish, eggs, appropriate dairy products, legumes and fresh foods.

Another less frequently discussed aspect is the impact of ultra-processed foods on children's eating behavior. These products are often designed to keep children "coming back for more": intense flavors, crunchy textures, sweetness, richness, attractive packaging, easy-to-hold portions and appealing advertisements.

When children become accustomed to always having snacks in their schoolbags, sweets after school, soft drinks during outings, sausages whenever they feel hungry or instant noodles when their parents are busy, they may develop eating habits driven more by convenience and emotions than by their body's actual needs. Children may also become more likely to demand foods advertised to them or popular among their friends, making it harder for parents to control the food environment at home.

However, public health messages should not take an extreme approach by calling for an "absolute ban" on all packaged foods. In reality, modern families sometimes need convenient food options. What matters is that parents understand how frequently these foods should be consumed and know what to prioritize. Fresh, minimally processed foods should remain the foundation of daily meals. Ultra-processed foods, if consumed, should only be occasional choices. They should not regularly replace main meals or become rewards, tools for comforting children or default snack options.

Parents can start by reading food labels. Pay attention to sugar, salt, saturated fat and energy content per serving, the ingredient list and the actual portion size consumed by the child. A product labeled "low in sugar" is not necessarily a good choice if a child consumes it several times a day. Fruit juice labeled "made from real fruit" may still contain high amounts of sugar and less dietary fiber than whole fruit. Biscuits labeled "vitamin-fortified" cannot replace a varied diet. A simple rule is that the longer the ingredient list, the more unfamiliar ingredients it contains, and the greater the presence of sugar, syrups, flavorings, sweeteners and flavor enhancers, the more carefully the product should be considered.

Family meals should include more natural foods. Children's main meals should contain appropriate portions of rice or other starchy foods, protein-rich foods, vegetables, suitable amounts of oils and fats, and fruits. Snacks may include low-sugar milk or yogurt, fresh fruit, potatoes, corn, small portions of bread, eggs, legumes, suitable cheeses or simple homemade foods.

If children have become accustomed to ultra-processed foods, parents should reduce their consumption gradually rather than eliminate them abruptly. This can be done by purchasing them less frequently, reducing portion sizes, avoiding keeping large quantities at home, replacing soft drinks with water or suitable milk, and substituting packaged snacks with cut fruit, low-sugar yogurt or home-prepared foods.

Schools and communities also play important roles. Preschool canteens, playgrounds, after-school learning centers and areas surrounding school gates should limit the advertising and sale of foods high in sugar, salt and fat. Teachers and school health personnel can work with parents to communicate the importance of healthy snacks, appropriate beverages, physical activity and healthy sleep habits. When families, schools and communities work together to create a supportive environment, children can develop healthier eating habits more easily.

In summary, ultra-processed foods are not simply a matter of one packet of biscuits or one glass of soft drink. They reflect the broader food environment, family eating habits, the convenience of modern life and children's long-term health. Parents do not need to become overly anxious or impose absolute restrictions, but they should remain discerning about advertising, learn to read food labels, make informed choices and establish appropriate limits.

A healthy meal for children does not necessarily need to be elaborate, but it should be based on fresh, varied, minimally processed and age-appropriate foods. Convenience may save parents a few minutes today, but healthy eating habits are a lasting gift to children's health for years to come — one that should not be sacrificed.

Tran Thi Minh Nguyet, PhD

Department of Pediatric Nutrition Examination and Counseling, National Institute of Nutrition