Intake Of Young Children Research Articles

Tribally Affiliated Child-Care Center Environment and Obesogenic Behaviors in Young Children

BackgroundChild-care centers are an integral part of life for many families with young children. American Indian children are at elevated health risk because of higher levels of obesity and associated health behaviors. ObjectiveOur aim was to assess the child-care environment and children’s physical activity (PA) and dietary intake in young children attending tribally affiliated child care. DesignWe conducted a cross-sectional study. Participants/settingParticipants were from 11 tribally affiliated child-care centers across Oklahoma and included 82 children aged 3 to 5 years old. Main outcome measuresClassroom observations were conducted using the Environmental and Policy Assessment Observation to measure PA and nutrition environments. Children wore an ActiGraph GT3X accelerometer and lunchtime plate waste was observed. Statistical analysesDescriptive statistics, including mean±standard deviation and frequencies, were calculated for the children’s behaviors and environment. ResultsThe total environment score was 23.9±5.2 (maximum=43). The nutrition score was 12.5±3.1 (maximum=21). The PA score was 11.7±2.2 (maximum=22). The participants were 3.8±0.1 years old, 55% were male, 67% were American Indian, and 38% were overweight or obese. Accelerometers were worn for 5.9±1.7 hours, excluding naptime. Children accumulated 4.3±2.2 min/h of moderate to vigorous PA, 4,294±1,883 steps/day, and 12.1±3.7 steps/min. At lunch, children were served 510±241 kcal, and consumed 387±239 kcal. Lunches consisted of 47% carbohydrate, 20% protein, and 33% fat. Total number of F/V served was 2.9±1.9 and consumed was 2.3±1.8, while whole grains served and consumed were 0.3±0.4 and 0.2±0.4, respectively, and lean proteins served and consumed were 0.3±0.4 and 0.2±0.4, respectively. ConclusionsThis study describes obesogenic aspects of the child-care environment and identifies areas for improvement. Children did not accumulate adequate PA or consume calories or fat excessively. Children consumed multiple F/V; however, more whole grains and lean proteins could be provided. Future research might investigate how the healthfulness of the child-care environment can be improved by counseling providers on nutrition and PA strategies to prevent obesity.

Effect of phytase on zinc absorption from a millet-based porridge fed to young Burkinabe children

Fortifying cereal staples with zinc is a strategy for increasing zinc intake in young children in developing countries. However, phytic acid (PA) naturally present in cereals strongly decreases zinc absorption. A stable-isotope zinc absorption study was conducted in young children to investigate the ability of the PA-degrading enzyme phytase to improve zinc absorption, when added to a cereal porridge immediately before consumption. Fractional absorption of zinc (FAZ) was estimated in 35 young healthy Burkinabe children using the double-isotopic tracer ratio method with 67Zn as oral tracer and 70Zn as intravenous tracer, in a crossover design. The test meals were: (a) a millet-based porridge containing 1.4 mg total zinc (native plus 1 mg added as ZnSO4) with a PA:Zn molar ratio of 7.7; (b) the same porridge with the enzyme phytase (20.5 phytase units (FTU)) added immediately before consumption. The exchangeable zinc pool (EZP) was determined as a potential measure of long-term zinc intake in 20 of the 35 children and compared with FAZ. Mean FAZ increased from 9.5±3.4 to 16.0±5.1% (P<0.0001), when phytase was added to the meal. The mean EZP was 3.6±0.5 mg/kg. There was no correlation between the EZP and FAZ values for either of the two test meals. Adding phytase immediately prior to consumption of a zinc-fortified cereal-based complementary food can improve zinc absorption in young children.

Multiple pathways to whiteness: white teachers’ unsteady racial identities

Teacher education programs in the US, recognizing the mismatch that exists in preschool provision between mostly white teachers and a very diverse intake of young children, have begun to explore ways of raising racial awareness among pre-service teachers, with the aim of improving non-white children’s classroom experiences and outcomes. This paper analyzes 60 critical memoirs written by students about their own awareness of their identity to demonstrate the intersectionality of teacher identity, and in particular the impact of social class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and religion on the processes whereby white students acquire a successful white teacher identity. In doing so, it highlights the ways white pre-service teachers who hope to work with young children imagine or realize their whiteness as it intersects with other aspects of their identities.

Low prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intake in young children in the south of Brazil: a new perspective.

In Brazil, children's eating patterns have been characterised by an increased consumption of ultra-processed foods that are fortified. Our aims were to (1) estimate the prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intake among children from low-income families and (2) to assess micronutrient intake from fortified foods. We carried out a cross-sectional study from a randomised field trial conducted at healthcare centres in Porto Alegre, Brazil, with 446 mother-child pairs, with the children aged 2-3 years. Dietary data were assessed using two 24-h recalls. The prevalence of inadequacy for six micronutrients was estimated using the proportion of individuals with intakes below the estimated average requirement (EAR). Micronutrient intakes from fortified foods were evaluated using EAR and upper tolerable level (UL). Healthy foods consumption was below the recommendations, except for beans, and 88·1 % of the children consumed ultra-processed foods. A low prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intake was observed for Fe (1·2 %), vitamin C (4·7 %), vitamin A (5·2 %), Ca (11·4 %) and folate (15·2 %). None of the children had intakes less than the EAR for Zn. Fortified foods contributed between 11·3 and 38·3 % to micronutrient intakes, and 43·0 % of the children met the EAR for Fe, 13·9 % for vitamin C and 12·3 % for Zn using fortified foods only. In addition, 4·0 % of the children exceeded the UL for vitamin A, 3·1 % for Zn, 1·1 % for folic acid and 0·2 % for Fe. These results highlight a low prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intakes among children and suggest that such a group could be at risk of excessive micronutrient intakes provided by ultra-processed foods.

Associations Between Swedish Mothers' and 3- and 5-Year-Old Children's Food Intake

ObjectiveTo investigate associations between mothers' and children's food intake. DesignCross-sectional study. Background variables collected through self-reports and from the register of the total population. Mothers recorded their own and their children's food intake in a diary during 2 4-day periods. SettingEight counties in mid Sweden. ParticipantsThree- and 5-year-old children and their mothers were randomly selected from the register of the total population. A total of 2,045 families were invited, 355 of whom accepted. Mothers who accepted were older and to a larger extent born in Sweden. The final sample of mother–child pairs with complete food records was 189. Main Outcome MeasuresMothers' and children's food intake (16 food items). AnalysisSpearman rank-order correlation with 95% confidence intervals (2-sided). Moderation was investigated using generalized estimation equations with robust variance. ResultsThe strongest correlations between mothers' and children's food intake were found for pizza and oily fish (r = .70–.80). The weakest correlations were found for sugared drinks and fruit and berries (r = .24–.26). Children's age moderated the relationship between mothers' and children's intake of savoury snacks, as did place of residence for pizza intake. Conclusions and ImplicationsThere were substantial correlations between children's and mothers' intake of various foods. Modeling of mothers' intake might be more effective in influencing young children's intake of certain foods, whereas other strategies, such as encouraging parents to influence food availability (eg, gatekeeping), might be more useful for some foods.

Strategies to increase children's vegetable intake in home and community settings: a systematic review of literature.

A systematic review was undertaken to identify intervention characteristics associated with increasing consumption of vegetables in children (2-12 years). PubMed, PsychINFO and CABabstracts were used to identify studies published between 2004-2014 that had measures of vegetable consumption, a minimum of 3-month follow-up and were conducted in home and community settings (outside of schools). Twenty-two studies were included in the review. Details of the study design, population, setting, intervention characteristics, target behaviour, behaviour change techniques used and vegetable intake were extracted. Study quality and intensity were scored. Overall, 12/22 studies were effective short-term, and 6/10 were effective long-term (6 + months); mean short-term change in vegetable intake was 29%, equating to an increase of a quarter to a half of a serving of vegetables. Intervention effectiveness was associated with number of settings targeted and frequency of contact but not length of intervention. Planning for social support, vegetable exposure and provision of staff training were commonly used behaviour change techniques in effective interventions. This review has identified strategies that may optimise effectiveness of future home-based and community-based interventions aiming to increase vegetable intake in young children.

Dietary sources and sodium intake in a sample of Australian preschool children

ObjectivesTo assess dietary sodium intake and the food sources of sodium in a sample of Australian preschool children.DesignCross-sectional.SettingMothers were followed up when children were approximately 3.5 years of age after...

Encouraging children to eat more fruit and vegetables: Health vs. descriptive social norm-based messages

Traditional intervention approaches to promote fruit and vegetable consumption outline the health benefits of eating fruit and vegetables. More recently, social norm-based messages describing the healthy eating habits of others have been shown to increase fruit and vegetable intake in adults. Here we report two experimental studies which investigated whether exposure to descriptive social norm-based messages about the behaviour of other children and health-based messages increased fruit and vegetable intake in young children. In both studies children were exposed to messages whilst playing a board-game. After exposure to the messages, children were able to consume fruit and vegetables, as well as high calorie snack foods. Although findings were inconsistent across the two individual studies, in a pooled analysis we found evidence that both health messages and descriptive social norm-based messages increased children's fruit and vegetable intake, relative to control condition messages (p < .05). Whether descriptive social norm-based messages can be used to promote meaningful changes to children's dietary behaviour warrants further study.

A Mobile Phone Based Method to Assess Energy and Food Intake in Young Children: A Validation Study against the Doubly Labelled Water Method and 24 h Dietary Recalls.

Mobile phones are becoming important instruments for assessing diet and energy intake. We developed the Tool for Energy Balance in Children (TECH), which uses a mobile phone to assess energy and food intake in pre-school children. The aims of this study were: (a) to compare energy intake (EI) using TECH with total energy expenditure (TEE) measured via doubly labelled water (DLW); and (b) to compare intakes of fruits, vegetables, fruit juice, sweetened beverages, candy, ice cream, and bakery products using TECH with intakes acquired by 24 h dietary recalls. Participants were 39 healthy, Swedish children (5.5 ± 0.5 years) within the ongoing Mobile-based Intervention Intended to Stop Obesity in Preschoolers (MINISTOP) obesity prevention trial. Energy and food intakes were assessed during four days using TECH and 24 h telephone dietary recalls. Mean EI (TECH) was not statistically different from TEE (DLW) (5820 ± 820 kJ/24 h and 6040 ± 680kJ/24 h, respectively). No significant differences in the average food intakes using TECH and 24 h dietary recalls were found. All food intakes were correlated between TECH and the 24 h dietary recalls (ρ = 0.665–0.896, p < 0.001). In conclusion, TECH accurately estimated the average intakes of energy and selected foods and thus has the potential to be a useful tool for dietary studies in pre-school children, for example obesity prevention trials.

Plasma phospholipid pentadecanoic acid, EPA, and DHA, and the frequency of dairy and fish product intake in young children

BackgroundThere is a lack of studies comparing dietary assessment methods with the biomarkers of fatty acids in children.ObjectiveThe objective was to evaluate the suitability of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to rank young children according to their intake of dairy and fish products by comparing food frequency estimates to the plasma phospholipid fatty acids pentadecanoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).DesignCross-sectional data for the present study were derived from the prospective cohort ‘Environmental Triggers of Type 1 Diabetes Study’. Infants were recruited from the Norwegian general population during 2001–2007. One hundred and ten (age 3–10 years) children had sufficient volumes of plasma and FFQ filled in within 2 months from blood sampling and were included in this evaluation study. The quantitative determination of plasma phospholipid fatty acids was done by fatty acid methyl ester analysis. The association between the frequency of dairy and fish product intake and the plasma phospholipid fatty acids was assessed by a Spearman correlation analysis and by investigating whether participants were classified into the same quartiles of distribution.ResultsSignificant correlations were found between pentadecanoic acid and the intake frequency of total dairy products (r=0.29), total fat dairy products (r=0.39), and cheese products (r=0.36). EPA and DHA were significantly correlated with the intake frequency of oily fish (r=0.26 and 0.37, respectively) and cod liver/fish oil supplements (r=0.47 for EPA and r=0.50 DHA). To a large extent, the FFQ was able to classify individuals into the same quartile as the relevant fatty acid biomarker.ConclusionsThe present study suggests that, when using the plasma phospholipid fatty acids pentadecanoic acid, EPA, and DHA as biomarkers, the FFQ used in young children showed a moderate capability to rank the intake frequency of dairy products with a high-fat content and cod liver/fish oil supplements.

Dietary vitamin D dose-response in healthy children 2 to 8 y of age: a 12-wk randomized controlled trial using fortified foods

Vitamin D is fundamental for bone health. A high proportion of Canadian 2- to 8-y-olds do not meet the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) of 400 IU/d. The objective was to determine whether vitamin D intakes consistent with the EAR or Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), through fortification of additional dairy products, would result in higher vitamin D status in young children. Participants aged 2-8 y (n = 77; Montreal, Canada) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary vitamin D targets (control; EAR: 400 IU/d; or RDA: 600 IU/d) for 12 wk (January to April 2014). Anthropometric measurements, demographic characteristics, dietary intakes, fasting serum parathyroid hormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], and ionized calcium were compared by using mixed-model ANOVA. Participants' mean ± SD age was 5.1 ± 1.9 y; 54.5% were boys with body mass index z scores of 0.50 ± 0.85. Compliance was 85% overall. No differences were observed in baseline dietary vitamin D intakes or serum 25(OH)D. At 12 wk, the EAR and RDA groups had significantly higher vitamin D intakes [median (IQR): control, 227 (184-305) IU/d; EAR, 410 (363-516) IU/d; and RDA, 554 (493-653) IU/d; P < 0.05] and serum 25(OH)D concentrations (control: 55.8 ± 12.3 nmol/L; EAR: 64.1 ± 10.0 nmol/L; and RDA: 63.7 ± 12.4 nmol/L; P < 0.05) than the control group. Ninety-six percent of children in the EAR and RDA groups and 67% of the control group had 25(OH)D concentrations ≥50 nmol/L. Increasing the vitamin D intakes of young children through fortification of alternative dairy products results in significantly higher serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and a significantly greater proportion of children with serum 25(OH)D ≥50 nmol/L during periods of minimal ultraviolet B radiation exposure. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02097160 and had Health Canada Temporary Marketing Authorization Letters for both products (TM-13-0432 and TM-13-0433).

Perceived eating norms and vegetable consumption in children.

BackgroundBeliefs about the eating behaviour of others (perceived eating norms) have been shown to influence eating behaviour in adults, but no research has examined whether young children are motivated by perceived eating norms.FindingsHere we investigated the effect on vegetable intake of exposing children to information about the vegetable intake of other children. One hundred and forty three children aged 6–11 years old took part in a between-subjects experiment. Children were exposed to information suggesting that other children had eaten a large amount of carrots, no carrots, or control information. Children ate more carrots when they believed that other children had eaten a large amount of carrots, compared to all other conditions.ConclusionsPerceived eating norms can influence vegetable intake in young children and making use of eating norms to promote healthier eating in children warrants investigation.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12966-015-0296-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Factors influencing obesogenic dietary intake in young children (0–6 years): systematic review of qualitative evidence

BackgroundObesogenic dietary intake is prevalent in young children and is associated with obesity and other adverse health outcomes in childhood and later in life.ObjectiveTo describe the barriers to and facilitators...

Prediction of Serum Zinc Levels in Mexican Children at 2 Years of Age Using a Food Frequency Questionnaire and Different Zinc Bioavailability Criteria.

The 2006 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey documented a prevalence of zinc deficiency of almost 30% in children under 2 years of age. We sought to validate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for quantifying dietary bioavailable zinc intake in 2-year-old Mexican children accounting for phytic acid intake and using serum zinc as a reference. This cross-sectional study was nested within a longitudinal birth cohort of 333 young children in Mexico City. Nonfasting serum zinc concentration was measured and dietary zinc intake was calculated on the basis of a semiquantitative FFQ administered to their mothers. The relationship between dietary zinc intake and serum zinc was assessed using linear regression, adjusting for phytic acid intake, and analyzed according to two distinct international criteria to estimate bioavailable zinc. Models were stratified by zinc deficiency status. Dietary zinc, adjusted for phytic acid intake, explained the greatest proportion of the variance of serum zinc. For each milligram of dietary zinc intake, serum zinc increased on average by 0.95 μg/dL (0.15 μmol/L) (p = .06). When stratified by zinc status, this increase was 0.74 μg/dL (p = .12) for each milligram of zinc consumed among children with adequate serum zinc (n = 276), whereas among those children with zinc deficiency (n = 57), serum zinc increased by only 0.11 μg/dL (p = .82). A semiquantitative FFQ can be used for predicting serum zinc in relation to dietary intake in young children, particularly among those who are zinc-replete, and when phytic acid or phytate intake is considered. Future studies should be conducted accounting for both zinc status and dietary zinc inhibitors to further elucidate and validate these findings.

Factors Associated with Meeting Public Health Recommendations for Beverage Intake in Young Children

ObjectiveTo examine factors associated with meeting public health recommendations for the consumption of various beverages: no sugary drinks (SSB), 4‐6 ounces/day 100% fruit juice (FJ), and 2.5 cups/day of milk.Methods:A survey study of 203 parents or legal guardians who identified as a primary care giver of a child between the ages 4‐10 years of age. Questions included the amount of beverages consumed on a typical day. Backward stepwise logistic regression (WALD) was used to examine factors associated with meeting the recommendations. Factors entered were race (non‐hispanic white v. non‐hispanic black), household income (蠄40K v. &gt;40K), marital status (not married v. married), and child age (4‐5 v. 6‐10 yrs).Results:Of the 203 parents, 52% Black, 88% female, 51% 蠄 40K, 43% married, mean age 38.6 (8.1) yrs, and mean child age 7 (2.1) yrs. For FJ, 49% met the recommendation. Whites were 2.4 times more likely to report meeting the recommendation than blacks (95% CI = 1.2 ‐ 4.7, p=.01) and high income was 2.6 times more likely than low income (95% CI =1.3 ‐ 5.2, p = .006). For SSB, 27% met the recommendation, but only marital status was a significant covariate (OR, 2.43, 95% CI = 1.2 ‐ 5.0, p= .02). For milk, 89% met the recommendation, but only child age was a significant covariate (OR, 2.57, 95% CI = 1.0 ‐ 6.4, p= .04).ConclusionThe results highlight a disparity in meeting recommendations for limiting 100% FJ with race and income being significant factors. The results for SSB suggest that single parents struggle more with limiting sugary drinks. Further analyses should examine factors within these disparity groups to understand how to develop interventions that help promote a healthful intake of beverages.

Choice-offering as a strategy to stimulate vegetable intake in young children. An in-home study

Poor vegetable intake in children is a persistent problem, despite increased awareness of the importance of vegetable consumption in our obesogenic environment. Encouraging children's feeling of autonomy by offering a choice can stimulate children's vegetable intake, according to self-determination theory. The objective of this study was to investigate whether choice-offering is an effective strategy to increase children's vegetable intake. Children (Mage 3.7; SD 1; n?=?70) were randomly assigned to either the choice or the no-choice condition. Each child was exposed 12 times to six familiar target vegetables in both groups at home during the evening meal. In the choice group, two selected vegetables were offered each time, whereas in the no-choice group only one vegetable was offered. Vegetable intake was measured by weighing children's plates before and after dinnertime. A mixed linear model with age, gender, and baseline vegetable liking as covariates was used to compare intake between the choice and the no-choice group. Baseline vegetable liking predicted vegetable intake during the intervention (P?

An Evaluation of a Project Regarding the Acceptance of Value Addition to Nutrition in Primary and Higher Secondary School Children in Bairagarh, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

The quantitative and qualitative aspects of dietary intake are important factors influencing the nutritional status in young children in a developing country. The type of food pattern determines the dietary bulk and nutritional intake in young children. The need for care and value addition to the routine food pattern is increasingly felt as an important component in child health and nutrition. In a developing country like India, ensuring optimal food safety, healthy environment and availability of health services is a target still to be achieved. This project was done to understand the acceptance of low cost, effective and healthy dietary intervention among school children as they are the most vulnerable group to experience health problems related to under nutrition, malnutrition or simple childhood obesity. The aim of study is to examine the acceptance of dietary intervention in primary and higher secondary school children. The value addition was done by providing a dietary intervention of sprouted green gram in quanti ty of 50 gms and 100 gms at a cost INR 2/- and INR 4/- respectively. The dietary intervention was implemented in schools after assessment of their nutritional status, eating habits environmental factor such as parent level of education, commonly preferred food types by children and their parents. Six schools were identified and awareness campaign for a total population of 7200 students was conducted, following which and 2000 children consented to adopt this dietary supplement. The program was monitored for 5 months. The result revealed that 1900 students were consuming sprouted green gram on the regular by adopting it in their daily routine which 95% adoption rate. These school children were interviewed by a team of 8 doctors from Sant Hirdaram Medical College of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences over a period of 15 days. 45% of the children revealed their liking for sprouts because of its health benefits. 27% of the children revealed the motivation and monitoring of patents as the reason of their regular consumption, and the remaining 28% stated that they were partially influenced by their friends but were unable to describe correctly what influenced them to consume sprouts

A suggested approach for imputation of missing dietary data for young children in daycare

BackgroundParent-reported 24-h diet recalls are an accepted method of estimating intake in young children. However, many children eat while at childcare making accurate proxy reports by parents difficult.ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to demonstrate a method to impute missing weekday lunch and daytime snack nutrient data for daycare children and to explore the concurrent predictive and criterion validity of the method.DesignData were from children aged 2-5 years in the My Parenting SOS project (n=308; 870 24-h diet recalls). Mixed models were used to simultaneously predict breakfast, dinner, and evening snacks (B+D+ES); lunch; and daytime snacks for all children after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). From these models, we imputed the missing weekday daycare lunches by interpolation using the mean lunch to B+D+ES [L/(B+D+ES)] ratio among non-daycare children on weekdays and the L/(B+D+ES) ratio for all children on weekends. Daytime snack data were used to impute snacks.ResultsThe reported mean (± standard deviation) weekday intake was lower for daycare children [725 (±324) kcal] compared to non-daycare children [1,048 (±463) kcal]. Weekend intake for all children was 1,173 (±427) kcal. After imputation, weekday caloric intake for daycare children was 1,230 (±409) kcal. Daily intakes that included imputed data were associated with age and sex but not with BMI.ConclusionThis work indicates that imputation is a promising method for improving the precision of daily nutrient data from young children.

The influence of early feeding practices on fruit and vegetable intake among preschool children in 4 European birth cohorts

Fruit and vegetable intake in children remains below recommendations in many countries. The long-term effects of early parental feeding practices on fruit and vegetable intake are not clearly established. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether early feeding practices influence later fruit and vegetable intake in preschool children. The study used data from 4 European cohorts: the British Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), the French Etude des Déterminants pre et postnatals de la santé et du développement de l'Enfant study, the Portuguese Generation XXI Birth Cohort, and the Greek EuroPrevall study. Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed in each cohort by food-frequency questionnaire. Associations between early feeding practices, such as breastfeeding and timing of complementary feeding, and fruit and/or vegetable intake in 2-4-y-old children were tested by using logistic regressions, separately in each cohort, after adjustment for infant's age and sex and maternal age, educational level, smoking during pregnancy, and maternal fruit and vegetable intake. Large differences in early feeding practices were highlighted across the 4 European cohorts with longer breastfeeding duration in the Generation XXI Birth Cohort and earlier introduction to complementary foods in ALSPAC. Longer breastfeeding duration was consistently related to higher fruit and vegetable intake in young children, whereas the associations with age of introduction to fruit and vegetable intake were weaker and less consistent across the cohorts. Mothers' fruit and vegetable intake (available in 3 of the cohorts) did not substantially attenuate the relation with breastfeeding duration. The concordant positive association between breastfeeding duration and fruit and vegetable intake in different cultural contexts favors an independent specific effect.

An After‐School Snack of Raisins Lowers Cumulative Food Intake in Young Children

Snacks are an important part of children's dietary intake, but the role of dried fruit on energy intake in children is unknown. Therefore, the effect of ad libitum consumption of an after-school snack of raisins, grapes, potato chips, and chocolate chip cookies on appetite and energy intake in twenty-six 8- to 11-y-old normal-weight (15th to 85th percentile) children was examined. On 4 separate weekdays, 1 wk apart, children (11 M, 15 F) were given a standardized breakfast, morning snack (apple), and a standardized lunch. After school, children randomly received 1 of 4 ad libitum snacks and were instructed to eat until "comfortably full." Appetite was measured before and 15, 30, and 45 min after snack consumption. Children consumed the least calories from raisins and grapes and the most from cookies (P < 0.001). However, weight of raisins consumed was similar to potato chips (about 75 g) and lower compared to grapes and cookies (P < 0.009). Raisins and grapes led to lower cumulative food intake (breakfast + morning snack + lunch + after-school snack) (P < 0.001), while the cookies increased cumulative food intake (P < 0.001) compared to the other snacks. Grapes lowered appetite compared to all other snacks (P < 0.001) when expressed as a change in appetite per kilocalorie of the snack. Ad libitum consumption of raisins has potential as an after-school snack to achieve low snack intake prior to dinner, similar to grapes, compared to potato chips, and cookies in children 8 to 11 y old.