Press release

Three in four primary school children consume too much confectionery, snacks and sugary drinks

Three in four children in grades 0–3 consume more confectionery, snacks and sugary drinks than there is room for in a healthy diet, according to the Official Dietary Guidelines. Typically, the children consume nine handfuls per week, even though the upper limit is no more than five handfuls if the rest of the diet is to comply with the guidelines. This is shown in a new baseline analysis from the DTU National Food Institute, carried out in collaboration with the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.

Many primary school children consume more than the maximum of five handfuls per week

Thursday 12 March 2026

Dorte Egelund

The new baseline analysis shows that 75% of primary school children have an excessively high intake of discretionary foods. “Discretionary foods” refers to the limited part of the diet where there may be room for confectionery, snacks and sugary drinks, once the need for healthy and nourishing foods has been met.

“However, many primary school children consume more than the maximum of five handfuls per week recommended by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration. It is important to emphasise that this is not a recommendation, but an upper limit for what there is room for in a week when the rest of the diet follows the Official Dietary Guidelines,” says Caroline Filskov Petersen, Research Assistant at the DTU National Food Institute.

The results are based on data from the first year of collection in the Sød Balance project across seven municipalities and have now been published in a new report.

Weekend intake drives the total upwards

The baseline analysis reveals a clear pattern: children consume more confectionery, snacks and sugary drinks at weekends (from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening) than on weekdays. At weekends, children typically consume five handfuls, while on weekdays they consume three handfuls. This means that primary school children consume, at weekends alone, an amount equivalent to the entire maximum allowance for a full week.

Please note: the five handfuls at weekends and the three handfuls on weekdays are medians for two different periods. They therefore cannot simply be added together to produce a weekly total. When the whole week is considered together, the median is instead nine handfuls of confectionery, snacks and sugary drinks.

The issue cuts across family backgrounds

Overall, 25% of children stay within the limit of no more than five handfuls per week. The proportion varies between municipalities, ranging from 18% in Norddjurs to 29% in Frederikssund and Albertslund.

There is variation between educational groups in the proportion of children who stay below the limit. The proportion is higher among children whose parents have lower secondary school as their highest completed level of education than among children whose parents have completed higher education.
In the survey, 36% of children whose parents had lower secondary school as their highest completed education stayed below the limit, compared with 23% among children whose parents had completed higher education.

However, this finding should be interpreted with great caution, as the group of parents with lower secondary school as their highest level of education accounts for only 5% of participants and is therefore not necessarily representative. It cannot be used as a basis for drawing conclusions about social differences.

Confectionery tops the list

Confectionery is the discretionary food children consume most of. On average, each child consumes 2.1 handfuls of confectionery per week. This is followed by muesli bars, crisps and sugar-free squash, with small variations depending on parental education level.

Table: Top five most consumed discretionary foods, measured in handfuls per person per week, across all municipalities and all school years

About the Sød Balance project

Sød Balance was launched on 1 September 2023 and runs until 31 August 2027. The project was developed by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration in collaboration with the DTU National Food Institute and is supported by the Nordea Foundation. Its purpose is to promote a healthier culture around hygge and snacking in families with children and to reduce the intake of confectionery, snacks and sugary drinks among primary school children.

In grade 0, the project is linked, among other things, to the compulsory school health consultation. Before the consultation, parents can complete the digital Sød-måler, which provides a shared overview of the child’s intake of confectionery, snacks and sugary drinks.

Method and limitations

The baseline analysis is based on data collected from September 2024 to July 2025 in seven municipalities: Albertslund, Frederikssund, Hvidovre, Jammerbugt, Norddjurs, Slagelse and Tårnby. Parents of children in grades 0–3 recorded their child’s intake over the previous seven days using the digital Sød-måler. Links to the Sød-måler were sent to 11,938 parents, and 2,488 completed the survey, corresponding to a response rate of 21%. The municipalities of Køge and Brønderslev are also part of the project and will take part in data collection in the next school year.

In the report, results are presented both as medians and averages, and differences between municipalities and groups were tested statistically.