Well, this is disturbing to read, especially if you're a parent to young kids.

As the United States is beginning its long march away from ultra-processed foods, led by HHS Secretary RFK Jr., and pushing to eat "real food," a study out of Austin, TX found that our young kids aren't getting anything but processed junk.

Here's the USA Today:

A team of researchers at the University of Texas at Austin surveyed 21 grocery stores across Austin, Texas, and found that more than 80% of available toddler foods were ultra-processed ...

80 percent!

Not just half the food marketed to young kids. The vast majority of it.

Two research scientists at the University of Texas at Austin visited 21 grocery stores around Austin, gathering photographs of 2,783 products billed as suitable for children ages 6 to 36 months.

They found that 81% of the products were ultra-processed, according to criteria outlined in the Nova Food Classification System.

Yeah, it's time to ditch the snack aisle for your kids and start doing the hard thing, isn't it?

Feeding them real food.

Of course, that would require us adults to also eat real food.

More from the study:

'Many parents may assume that products sold on the baby/toddler food aisles of their grocery stores have to meet certain nutrient standards. Our findings highlight that half of the toddler foods available in local grocery stores do not,' Hudson said. 'As a result, parents have to be vigilant in checking labels and ingredients to determine the nutrient content and processing level of products for their toddlers.' ...

Specifically, Hudson pointed to popular products such as fruit pouches (high in sugar), oat bars (high in sugar and calories), mac and cheese (high in sodium and fat), turkey sticks (high in sodium and fat), cheese puffs (high in calories) and peanut butter puffs (high in sodium, fat and calories).

Man, those really are all of the easy and quick snacks you can hand to a fussy toddler without a second thought, aren't they?

Our grocery store shelves are filled with almost nothing of nutritional value for kids.

What's more, the researchers at UT Austin noted that 'foods children consume during the toddler years can shape taste preferences and dietary habits that persist throughout childhood, influencing long-term health.'

'During these critical early years of development, most parents are trying to feed their children healthfully but may be challenged to do so by the toddler food products available in their grocery stores,' Hudson said.

Moms and dads, think things through before giving these snacks to your kids.