Are Canadian preschool-aged children getting enough healthy fats?
Are Canadian preschool-aged children getting enough healthy fats?
This study examined polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake among preschool-aged children and found that many children were not consuming enough essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids needed for healthy growth and development.
What We Did and Why We Did It
We analyzed dietary data from 109 preschool-aged children (18 months to 5 years old) participating in the Guelph Family Health Study pilot study. Parents completed 3-day food records documenting everything their child ate and drank, which researchers analyzed to measure children’s intake of different types of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including total PUFA, omega-3 (n-3) PUFA, and omega-6 (n-6) PUFA. A small group of children also provided blood samples to measure plasma fatty acid levels and compare dietary intake with biological markers.
Healthy fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA, play an important role in children’s growth, brain development, and long-term health. However, there is limited recent research on PUFA intake among Canadian preschool-aged children. Understanding whether young children are meeting recommendations for these essential fats can help identify opportunities to improve nutrition and support healthy development during early childhood.
What We Found
What We Can Learn From This
Many children were not meeting recommended intakes for PUFA. Nearly three-quarters of children had intakes below the recommended amount for alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential omega-3 fatty acid, and a similar proportion had low intakes of EPA and DHA, longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Overall, total PUFA intake was lower than recommended, while saturated fat intake was higher than recommended. Blood samples from a smaller group of children showed patterns that reflected their dietary intake, supporting the findings from food records. The results suggest that preschool-aged children may not be consuming enough foods rich in healthy fats, such as fish, nuts, seeds, and certain plant-based oils.
Including a variety of healthy fat sources in children’s diets is important for supporting growth and development. Families can help improve PUFA intake by offering foods rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fats, such as fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and oils like canola and soybean oil. More research is needed to understand how to best support families in increasing healthy fat intake among young children.
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