American children's diets not making the grade.

摘要

This paper analyses the one-day individual intakes for children aged 2-17 years in the USA, with particular emphasis on meal and snack patterns and sources of foods. The analysis revealed that: fast food has become children's preference for eating out, benchmark nutrient (cholesterol, sodium, fibre, calcium and iron) densities for children vary by age and gender, children are still over the recommended allowance despite reduction in fat intake, children's food choices at home are lower in fat and saturated fat than away from home, male teens consume too much cholesterol and sodium and older children make poorer food choices at school than younger children. It is suggested that intakes of some nutrients and food components, such as fibre, calcium and iron, should be increased and intakes of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium should be limited to improve children's diets.