Abstract
The primary purpose of this paper is to assess how well food consumption patterns of young children in the U.S. conform to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A secondary purpose is to gain insight into food choices that contribute to over- or under-consumption of key food groups and dietary constituents. The analysis used data from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study 2008 (FITS 2008), and a national random sample of 1323 2- and 3-year old U.S. children. Children’s usual food intakes were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method and proportions of children whose usual diets did not include recommended amounts of food groups were assessed, as well as the proportions that consumed excess calories from solid fat and added sugars. Leading sources of vegetables, grains, oils, solid fat and added sugars were also examined. The prevalence of usual food group intakes that did not meet recommendations was highest for vegetables (91%), whole grains (94%), and oils (>99%). In addition, virtually all children (>99%) had usual intakes of calories from solid fat and added sugars that exceeded the maximum allowance. The mean intake of calories from solid fat and added sugars was almost three times the maximum allowance. Given that children’s food preferences and habits develop early in life, educating primary caregivers about recommended feeding patterns and how to promote them is critical. Infants and young children will readily accept sweet and salty foods, but the wider variety of foods associated with healthy eating patterns may only be accepted if children have repeated experience with them. There is evidence that some caregivers may overestimate the quality of their children’s diets, so specific, practical, and actionable guidance is needed. This advice should include education about children’s normal resistance to new foods, strategies for promoting acceptance and not using food to manage behavior. Given that one-third of children under the age of five attend regular child care outside the home, child care centers and family day care homes also have an important role to play in developing healthy food habits and preferences among young children.
Highlights
The primary purpose of this paper is to assess how well food consumption patterns of young children in the U.S conform to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are jointly issued by the U.S Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services are updated every 5 years and provide evidence-based guidance on dietary patterns that promote health, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity [10]
The percentage of children ages 2- and 3-years of age with usual intakes of USDA’s Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern food groups below recommended levels ranged from a low of 16% for total grains to a high of essentially 100% for oils (Table 2)
Summary
The primary purpose of this paper is to assess how well food consumption patterns of young children in the U.S conform to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. While the prevalence of obesity in this age group has leveled off since 2003 [5,6,7,8], it is still double what it was 30 years ago [9] These paradoxical findings point to the importance of food choices and dietary patterns in shaping overall diet quality. The Dietary Guidelines are further translated into Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Patterns, which provide guidance on the specific types and amounts of food to consume based on age, sex, and physical activity level [10]. Few studies have examined dietary patterns of children 2–3 years of age This gap in knowledge about the diets of very young children is critically important because evidence shows that eating patterns and food preferences are established early in life [14,15,16,17]. As nutrition experts are working to extend the Dietary Guidelines to include guidance for children from birth to 24 months [18], it is important to understand how consumption patterns of our youngest children compare to current recommendations
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