From birth to age 2 children form healthy eating habits that can prevent childhood obesity. Expert health professionals have provided recommendations for feeding babies and toddlers, yet baby and toddler food and drink companies and their marketing messages do not always support these recommendations.

Companies spent over $77 million dollars in 2015 to advertise infant formula, baby food and toddler food and beverages to parents. Their marketing messages are often misleading, making parents think that their commercial products are healthier then a mother's breastmilk or homemade food.

Earlier this month, UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity released a new report called Baby Food Facts. This report provides insight on the nutrition and marketing of baby and toddler food and drinks. They compared nutrional content against their marketing messages, the amount spent to advertise to parents, noted where most advertisements are found and so much more!

Join us on November 4, 2016, at 1p.m. EST, at the #FoodFri tweetchat to chat with @UConnRuddCenter about their Baby Food Facts report and it's findings.

Spread the word! Click below to invite a friend (or two!).

Tweet: Let's talk abt #baby /toddler foods & drinks, their nutritional value & how they're marketed at #FoodFri 11/4 @ 1pET: http://ctt.ec/71JOa+

BabyFoodFACTS_Baby and Toddler Snacks_infographic.jpg

To join and follow the conversation on Twitter use the #FoodFri Hashtag in each tweet.

You can also follow the chat on Twubs.com/FoodFri. Twubs allows you to follow MomsRising’s registered hashtags by creating an account. Below I have noted the steps.

1. Create an account using an email or your Twitter account.
2. Enter the desired hashtag, #FoodFri, #WellnessWed or #EcoTipTue, in
   the search box found at the top of the page. Click Enter. A new page
   will open with the desired chat.
3. Find the “Join This Twub” button found on the right-hand side bar and join the group.
4. Adjust the speed of the conversation to your liking. Options are: Fast, Medium, Slow, Slower, or Slowest.
5. Introduce yourself and join the conversation, by entering your
   comment, tips, or questions in the “Tweet to #FoodFri as [YourName] box”
6. Or, respond to a specific tweet by hovering over the right-hand side of the individual’s tweet and selecting one of the icons.

More about our #FoodFri Featured Co-Host(s):

@uconnruddcenter-uconn-rudd-twitter logo.jpg

The Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut is a distinguished multi-disciplinary policy research center dedicated to promoting solutions to childhood obesity, poor diet, and weight bias through research and policy. The Rudd Center is a leader in building broad-based consensus to change diet and activity patterns by conducting research and educating policy makers and the public. For more information, visit www.uconnruddcenter.org or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/uconnruddcenter or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/uconnruddcenter.