Researchers looked at 14 long-term studies tracking what children ate from infancy through adulthood to see how eating habits affect health later in life. They found that kids who ate lots of sugar early on had more tooth decay, while those who ate healthy foods had better weight and heart health as teenagers and adults. Kids who ate too much junk food or red meat from a young age were more likely to become overweight and have heart problems later. The study suggests that teaching kids to eat well from the very beginning—even as babies—can help them stay healthier their whole lives.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How the eating patterns kids develop from infancy through childhood affect their health as teenagers and adults
  • Who participated: 14 different long-term studies that followed children from birth or early childhood into their teenage years or adulthood, tracking what they ate and measuring their health
  • Key finding: Children who ate healthy foods consistently from infancy had better dental health, healthier weights, better heart health, and better brain development compared to kids who ate lots of sugar and junk food
  • What it means for you: Starting healthy eating habits early—even in infancy—appears to set kids up for better health throughout their lives. This suggests parents should focus on good nutrition from the start, though more research is needed to understand exactly how much early eating habits matter compared to other factors

The Research Details

This was a systematic review, which means researchers searched through scientific databases to find all the best studies on this topic. They looked for studies that followed children over many years, tracking what they ate at different ages and then measuring their health outcomes later. The researchers found 14 high-quality studies that met their criteria—studies that started tracking kids’ diets before age 18 and followed them long enough to see health effects.

The studies examined different types of eating patterns: some looked at how much sugar kids ate, others tracked whether kids ate healthy foods or junk foods, and some measured overall diet quality. The health outcomes they measured were also varied—including tooth decay, weight gain, heart health, brain development, liver health, and gut bacteria composition.

By combining information from all these studies, the researchers could see patterns in how early eating habits connected to later health, even though each individual study looked at slightly different things.

This approach is important because it’s hard to study how childhood eating affects adult health—you’d have to follow the same people for 20 or 30 years. By looking at multiple studies together, researchers can see if the same patterns show up across different groups of children in different countries, which makes the findings more reliable and meaningful

Most of the studies included were high or acceptable quality, meaning they were well-designed and followed children carefully over time. However, the studies measured different things and followed kids for different lengths of time, which makes it harder to compare them directly. The review is recent (2024) and searched major scientific databases, so it likely captured most important research on this topic

What the Results Show

The research found clear connections between what kids eat early in life and their health later on. For dental health, children who had high sugar intake from infancy were more likely to develop cavities in early childhood, while those who ate healthier diets had fewer cavities. This pattern was consistent across multiple studies.

For weight and heart health, the findings were striking: children who ate poor-quality diets, lots of red meat, or lots of junk foods from infancy or early childhood were more likely to become overweight as teenagers and adults, and they had worse heart health markers like higher cholesterol and blood pressure. In contrast, kids who maintained healthy eating patterns from early childhood had better weight and heart health outcomes into adulthood.

For brain development, studies found that the types and amounts of nutrients kids ate from infancy—especially protein, carbohydrates, and fiber—were connected to how well they did on thinking and learning tests in childhood. Kids who ate better-quality diets performed better on these tests.

For liver and gut health, high energy intake (too many calories) from early childhood through the teenage years was linked to poor liver health in adulthood, and the types of carbohydrates eaten from infancy affected the healthy bacteria in the gut as adults.

The studies also found that dietary patterns established early tend to stay relatively stable—kids who ate healthy foods at age 5 were more likely to eat healthy at age 15. This suggests that early eating habits create a foundation that influences choices later. Additionally, the timing matters: establishing good eating patterns from infancy appeared to have stronger effects than changes made later in childhood

This review builds on previous research showing that childhood nutrition matters for health, but it specifically looks at how changes in eating patterns over time affect outcomes. Previous studies often just looked at eating habits at one point in time, while these studies tracked how eating patterns changed and evolved, which gives a more complete picture of how nutrition shapes health

The studies included looked at different populations in different countries, which means the results might not apply equally to everyone. Some studies followed children for longer periods than others, and some measured diet more carefully than others. It’s also hard to separate the effects of diet from other factors like exercise, sleep, and genetics. Additionally, most studies relied on parents or children remembering what they ate, which isn’t always accurate

The Bottom Line

Parents should focus on establishing healthy eating habits from infancy, including limiting added sugars, offering plenty of fruits and vegetables, choosing whole grains, and limiting processed foods. These changes appear to have meaningful effects on children’s health. However, this is based on observational studies, so while the evidence is fairly strong, it’s not absolute proof that diet alone causes these health differences (Moderate confidence level)

Parents of infants and young children should pay special attention to these findings, as the research suggests early childhood is a critical window for establishing healthy eating patterns. Healthcare providers working with families should also consider these findings when giving nutrition advice. People planning to have children might also find this helpful for understanding the importance of early nutrition

Some effects appear quickly—dental problems from high sugar intake can show up within a few years. Weight and heart health effects typically become noticeable by the teenage years. Brain development effects on learning and thinking may show up within a few years of establishing eating patterns. The longest-term effects on liver and gut health may take many years to develop

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your child’s daily intake of added sugars, servings of fruits and vegetables, and whole grain foods. Set a goal like ’limit added sugars to under 25g per day’ and ’eat 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables daily’ and monitor weekly progress
  • Use the app to create a simple meal plan for the week that includes healthy options your child enjoys. Set reminders for meal times and use the app to log what your child eats, celebrating when you hit healthy targets. This creates awareness and helps establish consistent patterns
  • Check in monthly on your child’s eating patterns rather than daily, since establishing habits takes time. Track trends over 3-month periods to see if overall diet quality is improving. Use the app to note which healthy foods your child enjoys most, making it easier to maintain good habits long-term

This review summarizes research on connections between childhood eating patterns and later health, but it does not prove that diet alone causes these health outcomes. Many factors affect children’s health, including genetics, physical activity, sleep, and environment. This information should not replace advice from your child’s doctor or a registered dietitian. If you have concerns about your child’s nutrition or health, please consult with a healthcare professional who can provide personalized guidance based on your child’s individual needs and circumstances.