Are plant-based diets providing preschool-aged children with the nutrients they need?
Are plant-based diets providing preschool-aged children with the nutrients they need?
This study examined the relationship between plant-based food intake patterns and nutrient intake among preschool-aged children, finding that diets higher in healthy plant foods were associated with improved nutrient profiles, while diets higher in less healthy plant foods were linked with poorer diet quality.
What We Did and Why We Did It
Researchers from the Guelph Family Health Study examined the diets of 283 preschool-aged children (ages 1.5–5 years) to better understand their intake of plant-based foods. Parents completed a 24-hour dietary recall using the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24), and researchers categorized the children’s food intake into different groups to calculate three plant-based dietary scores: overall plant-based dietary index (oPDI), healthful plant-based dietary index (hPDI), and less healthful plant-based dietary index (lhPDI). These scores were then compared with children’s nutrient and food group intakes to explore how different types of plant-based eating patterns relate to diet quality.
Dietary guidelines around the world increasingly encourage eating more plant-based foods because they can provide important nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. However, most research on plant-based diets has focused on adults, with less information available about young children. Since eating habits formed during childhood can continue into adulthood, understanding the types of plant-based foods children are consuming can help inform nutrition recommendations and support healthy eating patterns early in life.
What We Found
What We Can Learn From This
Children with higher overall plant-based food intake generally consumed more fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes, as well as higher amounts of nutrients such as fibre, vitamin C, iron, and magnesium. However, they also had lower intakes of some important nutrients, including calcium and vitamin D, which highlights the importance of maintaining a balanced diet with a variety of foods. Children with higher scores for healthy plant-based foods (such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes) had higher intakes of nutrients to encourage and lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol. In contrast, children with higher intakes of less healthy plant-based foods (such as sweets, refined grains, and snack foods) had higher intakes of added sugars and lower intakes of fibre, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients.
Eating more plant-based foods can support children’s nutrient intake, but the quality of those plant-based foods matters. Encouraging children to eat a variety of healthy plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, can help support overall diet quality. A balanced approach that includes a wide range of nutrient-rich foods is important to ensure children receive all the nutrients they need for growth and development.
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