Children Under 5 Are Not Eating Vegetables But Are Drinking Sugary Drinks, Says New CDC Report

CNN
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Children under the age of 5 in the United States are missing out on important nutrients by drinking sugary drinks and not eating fruits and vegetables. new report According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Researchers will survey parents of more than 18,000 children ages 1 to 5 in 2021 to see how many times their children ate fruit, ate vegetables and drank sugary drinks in the previous week. I asked how many times.

The findings were published Thursday in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Parents report that nearly half of their children do not eat vegetables every day, and about one-third of their children do not eat vegetables every day. I didn’t eat fruit every day.

More than half of the children (57%) drank at least one sugary drink during the week.

Researchers found that 1-year-olds were more likely to eat fruits and vegetables every day and less likely to drink sugary drinks than older children in that age group.

However, according to Heather Hamner, senior author of the study and senior health scientist at the CDC, findings vary by state.

“This is the first time we have estimated these behaviors at the state level,” Hamner said. “Now is a really good time to think about the programs and policies our state has in place and the areas where we can continue to improve to create the best possible nutrition environment for our young children.”

More than half of children in 40 states and Washington DC had had sugary drinks in the previous week, a report found. Mississippi had the highest percentage of children who had at least one sugary drink in the previous week, nearly 80%, while Maine had the lowest sugary beverage consumption, at 38.6%.

As for vegetables, more than half of children in 20 states did not eat vegetables every day in the previous week.

Parents in Louisiana report that nearly 3 in 5 of their children don’t eat vegetables every day. Similar findings were found for fruit, with nearly half of Louisiana children not eating fruit every day.

Vermont reports the highest rate of fruit and vegetable consumption among children ages 1-5.

The report highlights gaps in vegetable and fruit consumption related to race and household food adequacy.

Parents of black children were most likely to report that their children did not eat fruits and vegetables daily, and parents of white children were least likely to do so.

About 70% of parents with black children reported that their child had at least one sugary drink in the previous week.

“Compared with children living in food-adequate households, children living in food-inadequate households were less likely to eat fruits and vegetables each day and had less sugar in the previous week.” were more likely to consume soft drinks,” the report said.

Toddlers need specific nutrients from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to support growth.

Children aged 2 or 3 should eat at least 1 serving of fruits and vegetables daily, and children between the ages of 4 and 8 should have 1.5 servings daily. CDC nutrition guidelines and USDA.

“It is important to limit or reduce sugary foods and beverages, including sugar-sweetened beverages, because added sugar is associated with an increased risk of obesity, tooth decay, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease,” the report said. said.

According to Hamner, the key to increasing children’s food and vegetable intake under the age of five is in the hands of parents.

“We’ve found that children can try a new food up to 10 times before they like it,” she said. element.”

Also, offering food with a variety of flavors and textures can help children increase their intake and better understand what they like.

Parents shouldn’t feel tied down to fresh fruits and vegetables, either. Frozen and canned options are a great way to get nutrition into every meal.

Adding these essential vitamins and building a strong food base for your child will also have a lasting impact.

“One of the things that’s really important is these early eating behaviors,” Hamner said. “This is exactly when kids are laying the groundwork for these eating behaviors. , make sure you’re creating these healthy behaviors…that will set them up as they progress into adolescence and adulthood.”