Help kids outsmart food marketing - Articles for families with children - Resources for families - Get the Latest

Originally published: March 2026

Children see and hear food marketing in the places where they live, learn, and play. Ads show up in settings like social media, online games, websites, television, grocery stores, corner stores, public transit, recreation centres, playgrounds, parks, and more.

It's common for food and drink ads to show up inside games, videos, movies, and apps to make young kids think that certain products are just part of the fun. This makes it hard for them to know when they are seeing an ad.

Food marketing uses ads to get kids to want and ask for certain foods and drinks. Ads change the way kids think about food and drinks. They try to convince kids that unhealthy foods and drinks are good for them. Over time, ads can affect which foods and drinks kids will like and choose when they grow up.

Here are some ways to help limit the amount of food marketing kids see and to help them learn more about ads:

Look beyond the package

Look at the words, colours, symbols, images, and health claims on different types of food and drink packages with your child. Discuss how these tactics make them look good yet most of the marketing doesn’t even describe the actual food or drink inside.
Talk about how ads on food and drink packages use cartoons, famous people, animals, bright colours, fun pictures, and free games or prizes to make them seem fun, tasty, and special.
Show your child how most healthy foods and drinks in your home don’t use marketing. Get them to check out the plain packaging for items like milk, cheese, yogurt, beans, fish, oatmeal, pasta, rice, meat, fruit, or vegetables.
Learn more about how colours used in food packaging can change the way kids think about a food product.

Balance screen life

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines suggest no more than two hours of total screen time per day for children age 5 to 17. Try some of these tips:

Create daily time limits for surfing the web, playing games, and using apps.
Set up “screen-free” times for the whole family, such as meals, when guests visit, or during the first hour in the morning, and the last hour before bed.
Promote tech-free activities like sports, art, music, or time outside.
Model healthy screen use. Kids learn by watching you! Keep phones and devices aside and on mute while you eat or spend time with your child.

Go ad free

Find kid-friendly video streaming options and online games with no ads like, CBC Kids or National Geographic Kids.
Download videos from a streaming site to your phone or tablet to remove ads when your child watches them offline.
Find apps for kids that have no ads in the games. These apps often say that they have “no in-app purchases.”
Use a free ad blocker to stop food and drink ads from showing up while your child plays games or watches videos on a computer, tablet, or smart phone. Show kids how the blocker stops ads from showing up.

Shift social habits

Social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat require users to be at least 13 years old to create an account. If younger kids access these channels, ask them to use the website instead of the app to reduce the number of ads they see.

Inspire healthy changes

Small steps can go a long way to create healthy spaces and places for kids. Try some of these ideas at home, in your community, or with your child’s school, club or team.

Find healthy sponsors. Work with coaches, teams, clubs, or schools to find sponsors who will promote healthy food and drink or healthy non-food options on score clocks, equipment, uniforms, or dasher boards that surround a rink or field.
Suggest new ways to raise funds without selling unhealthy food and drink items. Work with teachers or parent councils to try healthy fundraising ideas.

Food marketing is everywhere. When you spend time exploring food and drink ads with your child, they become more aware of the goals of marketing. This can help them learn how to make better choices. Remind them that they can always talk to you if they see an ad that makes them feel curious, stressed, or confused. Continuing to learn about food marketing with your kids will improve the food and drink choices your family makes.

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