March 8, 2023 – Half of young children within the United States don’t eat vegetables day by day, in response to a recent report.
Overall, children ate more fruit than vegetables each day. One-year-olds ate more fruit and vegetables than 2- to 5-year-olds, and the youngest children also drank fewer sugar-sweetened beverages.
The report was released by the CDC. The data included dietary intake information for 18,386 children ages 1 to five years old from the CDC's 2021 National Survey of Children's Health.
Key findings of the report include:
- 1 in 3 children didn’t eat fruit day by day
- 49% didn’t eat vegetables day by day
- More than half (57%) drank a sugar-sweetened beverage no less than once per week
Whether children eat vegetables and fruit each day will depend on race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Black children are the least prone to eat vegetables and fruit each day: 65% don’t get vegetables no less than in the future per week and 51% don’t get fruit. Households that reported not at all times having the ability to afford enough to eat were significantly more prone to report that their children don’t eat vegetables and fruit each day.
The researchers also examined state-level data and located that healthy eating varied by where children lived. In 20 states, greater than half of youngsters didn’t eat vegetables each day. The state with the very best record was Vermont, where about 70% of youngsters ate vegetables each day. The state with the worst record was Louisiana, where about 35% of youngsters ate vegetables each day.
The authors imagine the findings should help develop tailored programs that contribute to healthier nutrition for young children, which in turn could reduce long-term health risks.
“Toddlers need certain nutrients to support their optimal growth and development,” they write. “A eating regimen wealthy in vegetables and fruit will help provide these nutrients. Limiting or reducing foods and beverages high in added sugar, including sugar-sweetened beverages, is very important because added sugar is related to an increased risk of obesity, dental problems, and other diseases. [problems]Diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”