Background The social isolation enforced as a result of the new coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic may impact families’ lifestyle and eating habits. The present study aimed to assess the behaviour and dietary patterns of Brazilian children and adolescents during the social isolation imposed by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods The present study was conducted using an online, anonymous cross‐sectional survey with 589 children and 720 adolescents from Brazil during a nationwide social isolation policy. The Mann–Whitney U‐test or the Kruskal–Wallis with the Dunn post‐hoc method and a radar chart were used to compare the weekly consumption of each food by age group and isolation status. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Analyses were conducted using R statistical software, version 4.0.2 (R Foundation for Statisitical Computing). Results We found that isolated families showed breakfast eating habits and the consumption of raw salad, vegetables, beans and soft drinks. Lower‐class isolated families and those from the Northeast region consumed fruits, juices, vegetables and beans less frequently. Compared to children, adolescents were less isolated (p = 0.016), less active (p < 0.001), exposed to longer screen time (p < 0.001), showed an inadequate sleeping pattern (p = 0.002) and were from lower‐class families (p < 0.001). Conclusions Social isolation affected the eating habits of children and adolescents. Non‐isolated families presented a lower consumption of healthy food, especially those among the lower class, from Northeast Brazil, as well as adolescents.

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The expansion of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil has further evidenced the discrepancy between different social realities of the country, and it may have also impacted eating practices, including those of adolescents. Objective: To evaluate the eating practices of Brazilian adolescents according to socioeconomic status, during the period of social isolation. Method: In this cross-sectional study, demographic, dietary and socioeconomic data were collected from 676 adolescents from all regions of Brazil through an online questionnaire. Associations between social strata and food pattern, food frequency, and changes in food consumption were analyzed by univariate and multivariable logistic regression models. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents in the upper-middle class were more likely to consume milk (p < 0.001), vegetables (p = 0.004), fruits (p < 0.001), and sweets. In contrast, adolescents from the working-lower classes were 53% less likely to eat regular lunch (OR = 0.47, p < 0.001) and 50% more likely to replace large meals by snacks (OR = 1.50, p = 0.03). When assessing the change in food consumption in this period, adolescents from the lower-lower classes were 1.5 to 2 times more likely to increase consumption of sugary drinks (OR:1.71; p = 0.003), fried snacks (OR:1.73, p = 0.005), and ultra-processed foods (OR:1.54, p = 0.02) in comparison with the other social classes. Conclusion: These results suggest a higher risk of unhealthy food consumption among adolescents from lower social classes and can be used as a basis for policies to address the pandemic.