Kids Aren't Getting Enough Fruits, Veggies

Do your children wrinkle their noses at vegetables?

If so, they're not alone. Fewer than 15 percent of the 2 million American elementary school-age children eat the recommended five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables, according to a new report.

The dismal discovery means that the vast majority of U.S. children are at increased risk for obesity and numerous chronic diseases -- unless they learn to make more healthful choices for their meals and snacks, according to a new analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. The new analysis was sponsored by Dole Food Co.

"Both at snack time and mealtime, the majority of American kids are not getting a very big nutrient bang for their calorie buck," said Gladys Block, leader of the analysis and professor of epidemiology and public health nutrition at the University of California, Berkeley. "They are eating high-fat, low-nutrient foods that deny them necessary vitamins and minerals."

The NHANES, a federally sponsored survey, shows that 75 percent of American children ages 6 to 11 years old eat a diet with more fat than the maximum U.S. recommended level of 30 percent. And on any given day, 45 percent of children eat no fruit, and 20 percent eat less than one serving of vegetables.

The average 6- to 11-year-old eats only 3.5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, achieving only half the recommended 7 servings per day for this age group.

Block said that simply by substituting a fruit or vegetable for a high-fat snack could go a long way in reducing their risks of becoming overweight, thereby reducing obesity-related illnesses.

"Parents and other caregivers need to help children make more healthful food choices," Block said.

According to the data, many children are "at risk" for inadequate intake of many nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc and magnesium.

"Children have increased their calorie intake, but not their vitamin and mineral intake," Block said. "They are loading up on foods relatively low in nutrients, and such poor habits and their health consequences can follow these kids into adulthood."

Snack Substitution

So what exactly are our children eating? Eighty-three percent of kids reported eating one or more snacks on the day they were surveyed, and those snacks made up about 20 percent of their daily calories. The analysis showed the most frequently reported foods eaten at snack time for this age group are, in order:

Soft drinks
Salty snacks such as potato chips, corn chips and popcorn
Cookies
Non-chocolate candy
Artificially flavored fruit beverages
Whole milk and chocolate milk
Two percent/reduced fat milk
White bread
Chocolate candy
Cake
Ice cream
Fruit

According to the analysis, the top five sources of calories, in order, are whole and chocolate milk, pizza, soft drinks, low-fat milk and cold cereal.

At mealtime, children are more likely to eat french fries than any other vegetable, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Making a single healthy substitution in a day can make a big difference, the analysis showed. For example, if a medium banana is substituted at snack time for a one-ounce mix of salty snacks such as potato chips, a child will get 12 percent less fat, 10 percent more fiber and 13 percent more potassium.

And by substituting raw broccoli and carrot sticks for high-fat fries, the new analysis showed that a child could lower daily fat intake by 14 percent and increase beta-carotene intake by a whopping 216 percent.

Beverages also can have a significant impact on children's daily eating, Block said. Soft drink consumption increased 21 percent among 2- to 5-year-olds over the last two decades and 37 percent among 6- to 9-year-olds, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Substituting a single serving of 100 percent fruit juice (6 ounces) for a 12-ounce soft drink increases vitamin C by 56 percent, potassium by 13 percent and beta-carotene by 8 percent.