Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes are beneficial for everyone. They matter even more for kids as they provide important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that support both physical and mental development. These foods help children grow. They support learning. They boost mood. They protect health for years to come.
A new study looked at children’s diets across nearly 30 years. Researchers at Tufts University led the work. They found a problem. Kids around the world still don’t eat enough of these healthy foods.
A Surprising U.S. Pattern
The study found something intriguing about American children. Babies in the U.S. eat a lot of healthy plant foods. In fact, they eat more than kids in most other countries. But this changes fast. As American kids grow older, their intake drops. By the teen years, they eat some of the lowest amounts in the world.
This pattern is different from most other places. In most countries, kids eat more plant foods as they age. The U.S. moves in the opposite direction.
Sydney Yearley is the study’s first author. She is a student in Tufts’ MD/PhD program. She said early eating habits can shape health for life. But her team found that healthy plant food intake stays low for kids everywhere. She said the results give researchers a starting point. They can now track progress. They can also find ways to get better food to more kids.
How the Study Worked
The researchers used the Global Dietary Database. This is a large collection of food data from around the world. They pulled information from more than 1,200 surveys. These surveys covered 185 countries.
The team focused on five food groups. These were fruit, non-starchy vegetables, starchy vegetables (not counting potatoes), beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds. They studied children from birth to age 19. They also looked at differences based on sex, family education level, and whether kids lived in cities or rural areas.
What the Researchers Found
Overall, kids don’t eat much of these foods. Children under one year old ate about 1.19 servings a day. Teens aged 15 to 19 ate about 3.55 servings a day. Boys and girls ate similar amounts.
South Asia had the lowest rates across almost every age group. East and Southeast Asia had some of the highest rates. This was mostly because kids there ate more non-starchy vegetables.
In most parts of the world, older kids ate more plant foods than younger ones. Rich countries were the exception. There, intake dropped as kids got older.
Vietnam, Congo, and Mexico had the highest rates by country. Spain, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom had the lowest.
Between 1990 and 2018, plant food intake rose worldwide. It also rose in almost every region. South Asia was the one region where it did not improve.
For the U.S. specifically, babies under two ate 2.7 servings a day. Kids and teens aged 2 to 19 ate only 1.8 servings a day. This decline indicates that American families initially have a strong foundation. But something happens as kids grow. They struggle to keep healthy habits going.
The researchers think a few things might explain the drop in wealthy countries. Kids may gain more control over what they eat as they age. Food environments may offer more processed options. Cultural habits may also play a role.
Why It Matters
Dariush Mozaffarian is the study’s senior author. He runs the Food Is Medicine Institute at Tufts. He said missing out on the right foods harms kids. It can affect their energy. It can affect their metabolism. It can even affect how well they learn and feel.
He said the findings point to a clear need. Communities and policymakers should find ways to close these gaps. Getting more minimally processed, healthy plant foods to children should be a global priority.
The study was published in the journal BMJ Global Health.
