Food Facts for Kids: Our Sources and How We Check Them

How we check

Every fact in our food guides and Snack check cards points to a named source. We work in this order:

• Primary sources first. We read the official document itself: the Dietary Guidelines PDF, the federal regulation, the agency page, the original journal article. News stories and summaries help us find a source, but they don't count as one.
• Every claim has a date checked. Official advice changes. Each source below lists the day we last read it, and each guide shows the month it was checked.
• Numbers come with their source. A nutrition figure on a Snack check card names its USDA FoodData Central entry or the brand's own label, with the variety or flavor.
• If we can't confirm it, we leave it out. A claim we couldn't trace to a source doesn't go on the page.

Each source has one of three labels:

• Verified on the primary page: we read the claim, in those words or numbers, on the publisher's own page or document.
• Verified via official secondary page: the publisher's own website blocked us, so we read the same claim in another official copy from the same agency, such as its press releases, and we name it.
• Secondary only: we could not read the primary page (it was blocked, offline, or doesn't exist) and relied on a second official copy or reputable reporting. We say which one.

Found a mistake? Please tell us through our contact page. We fix errors, update the date checked, and note the change on the page when it affects a fact.

The Snack check method

Each Snack check card shows four flags. A flag is either on or off, and every flag carries a short note with the number and where it came from. The card shows how many flags are on, for example "2 of 4," and nothing more.

• Added sugar. On if a serving has any added sugar: more than 0 g of "Includes Added Sugars" on the Nutrition Facts label. Whole foods without a label, like an apple, are off. Source: the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, which say that for children ages 5–10 "no amount of added sugars is recommended." The same document's limit of 10 grams of added sugars per meal appears in the card text, not as the flag's threshold.
• Highly processed. On if the product belongs to NOVA group 4 (ultra-processed foods): its ingredient list includes at least one item you wouldn't find in a home kitchen, such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrolyzed protein, modified starch, flavors, colors, emulsifiers, or non-sugar sweeteners. The note names the ingredient. Source: Monteiro et al., Public Health Nutrition, 2019, plus the Dietary Guidelines' advice to avoid highly processed foods. For a generic product with no brand, we use a typical store-bought ingredient list from USDA FoodData Central and say that homemade versions differ.
• Low protein and fiber. On if a serving has neither at least 5 g of protein nor at least 2.8 g of fiber. Those are 10% of the FDA Daily Values (50 g protein, 28 g fiber), the lower edge of the FDA's "good source" range in 21 CFR 101.54. One limit: we use grams of protein as listed on the label. A food's legal "good source of protein" claim also accounts for protein quality, so our flag and a package claim can differ.
• Choking risk under 4. On if the food appears on the AAP's choking prevention list or the CDC's choking hazards list for young children. The note says which list. The AAP advises keeping high-risk foods from children until age 4 or older, depending on the child's development.

Serving size is the one on the brand's label, or for a generic food, a standard serving from USDA FoodData Central, with its FDC ID recorded.

Why there's no overall score. The four flags measure different things, and no official source says how to weigh added sugar against choking risk or fiber against processing. Adding them up into a grade would mean inventing that weighting. A single score would also hide the detail parents use: a food can have a choking flag that matters a lot at age 3 and not at all at age 8 once it's cut up. So we show each flag, its number, and its source, and leave the decision to you.

Sources

Each block below gives the publisher, the version or date, what we use the source for, one short exact quote, the link, the date we last checked it, and its status. All sources were checked in October 2026.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

• Publisher: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Version: Released January 7, 2026; 10-page PDF at realfood.gov.
• What we use it for: Added sugar for children ages 5–10, the 10-gram-per-meal limit, highly processed foods, full-fat dairy, water and unsweetened drinks, 100% juice "in limited portions or diluted with water," protein at every meal, and 8 to 10 exposures to a new food for infants and toddlers.
• Quote: “No amount of added sugars is recommended.”
• Link: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 (PDF)
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

The New Pyramid and MyPlate

What we could verify about January 2026: on January 7, 2026, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins released the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines (USDA release No. 0003.26). The release says the guidelines “reclaim the food pyramid as a tool for nourishment and education.” USDA's Dietary Guidelines page now sends readers to realfood.gov, which presents the guidance as "the New Pyramid."

What we could not verify on a primary page: a USDA statement that MyPlate was formally retired. Wikipedia's MyPlate article and food-industry trade press, such as FoodNavigator-USA, report that the pyramid replaced MyPlate in January 2026. When we checked on October 23, 2026, the myplate.gov address did not load for us. In our guides we say only that MyPlate is no longer the main picture.

• Publisher: USDA and HHS (USDA Food and Nutrition Administration newsroom; realfood.gov)
• Version: Press release dated January 7, 2026; USDA Dietary Guidelines page updated April 13, 2026.
• What we use it for: The date and framing of the switch from MyPlate to the New Pyramid.
• Quote: “reclaim the food pyramid as a tool for nourishment and education”
• Link: USDA release No. 0003.26
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: The January 7, 2026 release and the New Pyramid: verified on the primary page (realfood.gov, USDA Dietary Guidelines page). MyPlate's retirement: secondary only.

American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org)

We use pages from HealthyChildren.org, the parent website of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Each page has its own update date, and some are several years old.

Choking prevention

• Publisher: AAP Council on Injury, Violence & Poison Prevention
• Version: Last updated February 27, 2026
• What we use it for: The list of foods to avoid or modify for young children, and the "age 4 or older" guidance. Used for the choking flag.
• Quote: “Keep high-risk foods from children until 4 years of age or older”
• Link: Choking Prevention
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

Picky eaters

• Publisher: AAP Committee on Nutrition
• Version: Last updated April 26, 2018
• What we use it for: Picky eating as typical behavior that levels out over time, no bribes, no pressure, and the parent-provides, child-decides split.
• Quote: “It's a parent's responsibility to provide food, and the child's decision to eat it.”
• Link: 10 Tips for Parents of Picky Eaters
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

15–20 tries

• Publisher: American Academy of Pediatrics; Natalie Muth, MD, MPH, FAAP
• Version: Last updated June 21, 2024
• What we use it for: The "15–20 tries" figure, one liked food at every meal, and no separate meals on request.
• Quote: “It can take children 15-20 tries to like a new food.”
• Link: How do I help my picky eater try more healthy foods? (Ask the Pediatrician)
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

13 exposures

• Publisher: AAP Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight
• Version: Last updated September 11, 2026
• What we use it for: The "13 or more exposures" figure and what counts as a try: on the plate, touching, smelling, licking, chewing and spitting out politely, and eating it.
• Quote: “It can take 13 or more exposures to a new food”
• Link: Taste, Touch, Explore: Make Nutritious Food Fun for Young Eaters
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

Breakfast

• Publisher: AAP Committee on Nutrition
• Version: Last updated July 31, 2023
• What we use it for: Breakfast habits, protein in the morning, and the share of school-aged kids who skip breakfast (13%; the page gives no year).
• Quote: “Any effort to make breakfast nutritious is better than no breakfast at all.”
• Link: Breakfast for Learning
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

Cooking with kids

• Publisher: American Academy of Pediatrics; Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH, FAAP
• Version: Last updated May 14, 2024
• What we use it for: Kitchen safety and supervision, and using touch and smell before taste.
• Quote: “Always supervise children when cooking”
• Link: 5 Great Reasons to Cook with Your Kids
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

Fussy eaters and milk

• Publisher: American Academy of Pediatrics, from the book What's to Eat? Healthy Foods for Hungry Children (2012)
• Version: Last updated August 28, 2020
• What we use it for: The AAP milk table (low-fat or nonfat milk after age 2), juice amounts by age, and lunch ideas.
• Quote: “Low-fat (1%) or nonfat (skim) milk”
• Link: How to Please Fussy Eaters
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

Feeding a 3-year-old

• Publisher: AAP Section on Obesity
• Version: Last updated December 29, 2016
• What we use it for: A second AAP page with the 15–20 figure, framed as "repeated exposures."
• Quote: “Developing a taste for foods can require up to 15-20 repeated exposures.”
• Link: Feeding & Nutrition Tips: Your 3-Year-Old
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Food safety

• Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Version: Page dated November 24, 2025
• What we use it for: Clean, separate, cook, chill; refrigerating within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F); 165°F for poultry and 160°F for ground beef and pork.
• Quote: “Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below”
• Link: Preventing Food Poisoning
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

Choking list for young children

• Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Version: Page dated March 11, 2026
• What we use it for: The second list for the choking flag. It adds foods the AAP list doesn't name, such as uncut cherry tomatoes, raisins, and pretzels. The page sits in CDC's section on the first 2 years.
• Quote: “This list may not include all foods that could cause choking.”
• Link: Choking Hazards (Infant and Toddler Nutrition)
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

Autism signs

• Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Version: Page dated May 16, 2024
• What we use it for: The answer to "Is picky eating a sign of autism?": unusual eating habits and sensory reactions are listed, and children may show all, some, or none of the examples.
• Quote: “Unusual eating and sleeping habits”
• Link: Signs and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

• Publisher: National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health
• Version: NIH Publication No. 24-MH-4901, revised 2024
• What we use it for: The description of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and its signs, such as a range of preferred foods that keeps shrinking, weight loss, and changes to growth. We use it to tell parents when to call a pediatrician, never to suggest a diagnosis.
• Quote: “fear of the consequences of eating (such as choking or vomiting)”
• Link: Eating Disorders: What You Need to Know
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The 9 major food allergens

• Publisher: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Version: Content current as of March 11, 2026
• What we use it for: The list of nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame (sesame since January 1, 2023).
• Quote: “sesame as the 9th major food allergen recognized by the United States”
• Link: Food Allergies
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

Daily Values

• Publisher: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Version: Content current as of March 5, 2024; values set in 21 CFR 101.9(c)(9)
• What we use it for: Daily Values of 50 g protein, 28 g dietary fiber, and 50 g added sugars for adults and children 4 and older, and how to read %DV.
• Quote: “5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low.”
• Link: Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page and in the regulation (21 CFR 101.9, eCFR, up to date as of October 21, 2026).

The "good source" rule

• Publisher: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Code of Federal Regulations (via eCFR)
• Version: eCFR, up to date as of October 21, 2026
• What we use it for: The "good source" range of 10–19% of the Daily Value per serving. Its lower edge sets our protein (5 g) and fiber (2.8 g) thresholds.
• Quote: “10 to 19 percent of the RDI or the DRV”
• Link: 21 CFR 101.54
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

USDA FoodData Central

• Publisher: USDA Agricultural Research Service
• Version: Most recent full data release April 2026
• What we use it for: Calories, added sugar, protein, fiber, and sodium for generic foods, standard serving sizes, and typical store-bought ingredient lists (Branded Foods). Every card records the FDC ID it used.
• Quote: “five distinct types of food and nutrient composition data”
• Link: About FoodData Central
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page.

NOVA classification

• Publisher: Carlos A. Monteiro, Geoffrey Cannon, and colleagues; Public Health Nutrition (Cambridge University Press)
• Version: Vol. 22, issue 5, pages 936–941; published online February 12, 2019. DOI 10.1017/S1368980018003762, confirmed in the Crossref database.
• What we use it for: The definition of NOVA group 4 (ultra-processed foods) and the practical test for the "highly processed" flag: at least one ingredient that home cooks don't use, or a cosmetic additive. The Dietary Guidelines say to avoid highly processed foods but don't define the term or mention NOVA, so NOVA is our working definition.
• Quote: “food substances never or rarely used in kitchens”
• Link: Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page (the abstract; we did not open the full article).

USDA food safety (FSIS)

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service website blocked our requests, so we checked the temperatures and time limits in USDA's own press releases, as distributed by the USDA Office of Communications, and against the CDC food safety page above.

• Publisher: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
• Version: Press releases dated August 5, 2025 (back-to-school lunches) and July 1, 2026 (cookout safety)
• What we use it for: The Danger Zone between 40°F and 140°F; keeping cold food below 40°F with two cold sources; keeping hot food at 140°F or higher; discarding perishable food after 2 hours in the Danger Zone, or 1 hour above 90°F.
• Quote: “following a two-hour rule (or one hour when temperatures are above 90 F)”
• Link: USDA Office of Communications bulletin, July 1, 2026
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified via official secondary page: USDA press releases (July 1, 2026; August 5, 2025). The FSIS pages themselves were not reachable.

Ellyn Satter Institute

• Publisher: Ellyn Satter Institute
• Version: Web page © 2025; Satter Division of Responsibility in Feeding (sDOR) handout, 2025
• What we use it for: The division of responsibility: parents decide what, when, and where; children decide how much and whether to eat. It is the institute's own feeding model, not a government guideline. The AAP describes a similar split.
• Quote: “Parents are responsible for the what, when, and where of feeding.”
• Link: Division of Responsibility
• Checked: October 23, 2026
• Status: Verified on the primary page (quote from the institute's 2025 sDOR handout).

Where sources disagree

Official sources don't always agree, and some AAP pages were written years before the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines. When they differ, we show both and say who says what. We don't pick a winner.

• Milk fat. The Dietary Guidelines say "full-fat dairy products are important" for children ages 5–10. The AAP's fussy-eaters page (last updated 2020) lists low-fat (1%) or nonfat (skim) milk after age 2. Your pediatrician can advise for your child.
• How many tries a new food takes. The Dietary Guidelines say 8 to 10 exposures, in their section on infants and toddlers. AAP pages give "10 or more" tastes (toddlers), "13 or more" exposures, and "15–20" tries. We report the range, not one number.
• MyPlate vs. the New Pyramid. Many school materials and books still use MyPlate, while the January 2026 guidelines use a pyramid. Both center on vegetables, fruits, protein foods, dairy, and grains. The pyramid adds stronger emphasis on protein at every meal, full-fat dairy, and limiting highly processed foods.
• Added sugar: none, or a limit? For children 5–10, the Dietary Guidelines recommend no amount of added sugar, yet the same document sets a 10-gram limit per meal and points to FDA "healthy" limits for snacks. Nutrition Facts labels show added sugar as a percentage of a 50 g Daily Value. Our flag uses the strictest reading: any added sugar turns it on.
• Juice. The AAP's fussy-eaters page gives amounts: 4–6 ounces a day for ages 1–6 and 8–12 ounces for ages 7–18. The Dietary Guidelines give no amount and say 100% juice should be limited or diluted with water.
• Packaged breakfast. The AAP's breakfast page lists granola bars, dry cereal, and energy bars among quick options. The Dietary Guidelines ask families to significantly reduce "ready-to-eat or packaged breakfast options."
• Which choking list. The AAP list applies until age 4 or older. CDC's list is part of its infant and toddler pages and names more foods, such as raisins, cherry tomatoes, and pretzels. A Snack check card turns the choking flag on if a food is on either list and names the list.
• What "highly processed" means. The Dietary Guidelines say to avoid highly processed foods and to limit artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and non-nutritive sweeteners, but they give no definition. NOVA group 4 is broader: it also counts ingredients like modified starch and hydrolyzed protein. We use NOVA and name the ingredient that set the flag.

What we don't do

• No brand verdicts. We don't call any product or brand good, bad, healthy, or unhealthy. Brand cards show the numbers from the official label or the maker's website, with the flavor or variety, and the four flags.
• No medical advice. Our pages share what official sources say. They aren't a substitute for your pediatrician, a registered dietitian, or an allergist, and the signs we list are not a diagnosis.
• No paid placement. No company pays to be included, left out, or described a certain way, and no product is in the Snack check because of a business deal.
• Affiliate links. If the site ever uses affiliate links, they will be disclosed on the page where they appear.