Introduction: Evidence points toward the early life being crucial for preventing nutrition-related diseases. As promotion of healthier food preferences in toddlerhood and preschool age might still modulate the trajectories of disease risk, understanding diet in these age groups is necessary.
The objective was to analyze food consumption and diet quality of 1β5-year-old children living in Germany in relation to age and sex.
Dietary data were collected using food records 3 consecutive plus 1 independent day. Diet quality was evaluated against the German food-based dietary guidelines FBDG. Results: Consumption of unfavorable foods e. Preschoolers consumed more unfavorable foods than toddlers and boys more than girls. More than half of the children exceeded the recommendation for meat intake medians: 2.
In nearly all children, vegetable consumption was too low medians: 4. In toddlers and preschoolers with overweight or obesity, adherence to dietary recommendations of these food groups was largely similar to that of the total sample. Discussion: An adverse dietary pattern arises and even deteriorates at a very young age, showing sex-specific aspects. High attention from public health and research needs to be given to toddlerhood and even earlier life phases, e.
The high prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents worldwide 1 , together with the risk of its progression into adulthood and association with adverse health outcomes such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus T2DM later in life 2 requires actions. One modifiable risk factor for childhood overweight and related diseases is diet 3 , 4. In order to address the prevention of nutrition-related diseases, actions ought to focus on the early years of life for two reasons: Firstly, the underlying subclinical conditions of nutrition-related diseases, e.
