Food Sources of Energy and Nutrients of Public Health Concern and Nutrients to Limit with a Focus on Milk and other Dairy Foods in Children 2 to 18 Years of Age: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014

Abstract

Many children are not meeting current nutrient recommendations. The objective of this study was to determine the food sources of energy, nutrients of public health concern, and nutrients to limit with a focus on dairy foods. Twenty-four-hour dietary recall data from children 2–5 (n = 1511), 6–11 (n = 2193), and 12–18 years (n = 2172) participating in NHANES 2011–2014 were analyzed. Energy, fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin D, added sugars, saturated fatty acids (SFA), and sodium intakes were sample-weighted and ranked on percentage contribution to the diet using specific food group intake and disaggregated data for dairy foods. For children 2–5, 6–11, and 12–18 years, milk, sweet bakery products, and sweetened beverages, respectively were the top food sources of energy, respectively. For calcium, potassium, and vitamin D, milk was the top ranked food source in all age groups. For children 2–5, 6–11, and 12–18 years, milk, sweet bakery products, and pizza, respectively were the top three ranked food sources of SFA; and sugar sweetened beverages and sweet bakery products were to top two food group sources of added sugars. Cured meats/poultry, pizza, and pizza, respectively, were the top ranked food sources of sodium for the three age groups. Identification of food sources of these nutrients can help health professionals implement appropriate dietary recommendations and plan age-appropriate interventions.

Calcium Intake in Children with Eczema and/or Food Allergy: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…Although the majority of adolescents in our study reported drinking skim milk, rather than homogenized (3.25%) milk, most still consumed ice cream or frozen yoghurt as well. This contrasts with reports from other high-income countries, where dietary intake of dairy products amongst adolescents is low [9,24,25]. At a population level, this is encouraging.…”

“…Adolescence is a critical window for adequate calcium intake, due to intensive bone and muscle development, and the need to optimise peak bone mass [8]. Milk is the top food source of calcium for children aged 2-18 years [9]. In a typical western diet, cow's milk is a common source of calcium.…”

Energy Intake, Macronutrient Profile and Food Sources of Spanish Children Aged One to <10 Years—Results from the EsNuPI Study †

“…Similarly, a cross-sectional study on a sample of GENESIS cohort of 2287 children (aged one to 5 years) concluded that about 80% of the children had a poor diet associated with low fruit, vegetable and grains intake and high saturated fat intake [61]. Moreover, in the NHANES study, for children 2-5 and 6-11 years old, the fruit and vegetables were the 7º and 16º ranked food sources of energy, respectively [32].…”

“…Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that the consumption of milk and dairy products promote adherence to the nutrient recommendations and may protect against the most prevalent non-communicable chronic diseases [8,9]. Similarly, in the NHANES study, found that milk was the top food source of energy in all ages [32].…”

“…Finally, The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 study (n = 5876) in children aged two-18 years old assessed the misreporting of the energy intake and the dietary sources of total energy and nutrients in a nationally representative sample of United States. Nonetheless, to determine the misreporting, this study assumed the physical activity because of the lack of an objective measure for this variable [32].…”