Decreasing Children’s Consumption of Ultraprocessed Foods:A Policy Roadmap

INTRODUCTION. For the first time in decades, there is consensus that the food system is making us sick, offering an unprecedented opportunity for legislation to create a healthier food system and promote evidence-based food policies that support children’s health. The “Make Our Children Healthy Again” report and strategy outline several approaches to minimize ultra-processed food consumption among US children. The MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) call to action builds in part upon the Biden administration’s “National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health” and is a response to the distressing fact that ultra-processed foods (UPF) are increasingly replacing fresh, nutrient-dense foods like produce, whole grains, and lean proteins in children’s diets.1 UPF comprise ingredients seldom found in home kitchens and are engineered to be hyperpalatable with addictive flavor combinations and textures.2