Federal government releases first dietary guidelines for infants and toddlers under the age of 2

The federal government has released its first-ever set of dietary guidelines for infants and kids under the age of 2, recommending against any added sugars in their diets.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services released the guidelines Tuesday, which suggest breast milk for at least the first six months of a child's life and no added sugar for those under 2.

Depending on how strictly parents want to adhere to expert recommendations, that may put a kibosh on candy, cake and ice cream for a toddler's second birthday. Womp.

The dietary guidelines are issued every five years by the USDA, HHS and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a group of food scientists. The recommendations are used to set standards for school lunches and other programs.

For children over 2, the feds recommend limiting added sugar to less than 10% of calories daily, focusing on nutrient-dense food and drink and staying within daily calorie limits, among others.

The document can be viewed in its entirety at the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans website.

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