Sweet excess: How the baby food industry hooks toddlers on sugar, salt and fat

Leading health organizations recently released their first consensus recommendations about what young children should be drinking: only breast milk or, if necessary, infant formula until a baby is six months old, with water introduced around then, and plain cow’s milk at around their first birthday.

That’s it. No juice, no flavored or plant-based milks, no caffeinated beverages or sodas.

The good news is parents of infants seem to be on the right track — breastfeeding is on the rise. But once children get into the toddler zone, it’s pandemonium.

There’s...