An article published in science journal Health Affairs has singled out the worst foods for child weight gain.

We’re still recovering from bacon-gate, so the upside is that it’s not so much the foods but how you prepare them.

The worst offenders? Chicken nuggets, fish bites, buttered toasted, chips, roasted potatoes and soft drinks, plus, surprisingly, milk.

Almost 5000 children kept food diaries from the age of seven to 13, and researchers tracked the foods with the “largest positive association” to weight gain.

Duke Global Health Institute’s Associate Professor Eric Finklestein says, “When we considered all dietary factors and physical activity levels simultaneously, we found that foods with the largest positive associations with three-year excess weight gain were fat spread (butter or margarine), coated (breaded or battered) poultry, potatoes cooked in oil (French fries, roasted potatoes, and potato chips), coated fish, processed meats, other meats, desserts and sweets, milk, and sugar-sweetened beverages,” 

Not all calories are equal, either. Liquid beverages were more “obesity-promoting” than solid foods because they are less satiating, and potatoes are fine when mashed or boiled – things just go wrong when you add oil.

Some of the results might be obvious (desserts are on the bad list, surprise surprise) but it does mean policy makers have somewhere to start when it comes to tackling the childhood obesity problem.

Need some recipe inspiration to avoid the nasties? We suggest switching your crumb coating for polenta, and checking our low-fat recipe gallery.