Youth Aren't Eating Enough Healthy Plant Foods Globally

Critical Childhood Nutrition Gaps Identified

New research from Tufts University indicates that youth globally are not consuming enough healthy plant-based foods. This includes essential items like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes, which are crucial for growth, learning, mood, and long-term health in children Source.

The study, published in BMJ Global Health, analyzed nearly 30 years of dietary data from 185 countries. It found consistently low intake of these healthy plant-based foods among children and adolescents worldwide.

United States Shows Unique Trend

In the United States, researchers observed a distinct pattern: daily consumption of healthy plant-based foods decreased significantly with age. US children had some of the highest intake levels during infancy but dropped to among the lowest in later childhood and adolescence. This contrasts with most other countries where intake either increased or remained stable with age.

For example, children younger than two years in the US consumed 2.7 servings/day, which then fell to just 1.8 servings/day for youth aged 2–19. Sydney Yearley, a lead author on the study, noted that "Dietary habits established during childhood can influence health throughout life, yet we found that consumption of healthy plant-based foods remains low among youth across the globe." Source.

Global and Regional Insights

Globally, children and adolescents consumed relatively low amounts of plant-based foods, ranging from 1.19 servings/day in infants to 3.55 servings/day in 15-19-year-olds. Intake rates were lowest in South Asia across all age groups, while East and Southeast Asian countries showed some of the highest rates, largely due to higher consumption of non-starchy vegetables.

The study also found that total intake of healthy plant-based foods increased globally and in most regions between 1990 and 2018, with the exception of South Asia. On a country level, Vietnam, Congo, and Mexico showed the highest rates, while Spain, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom had the lowest.

Why This Matters for High-Income Countries

The analysis also highlighted that only in high-income countries did the consumption of healthy plant-based foods decrease with age. Researchers suggest this could be influenced by factors such as youth autonomy, differing food environments, or cultural norms prevalent in these regions. As explained by senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, "When children don’t get enough of the right foods, it hurts their bodies and minds, limiting their energy, metabolism, learning, and mood." Source.

These findings underscore the ongoing challenge of ensuring nutritious diets for young populations and present opportunities for businesses to innovate in the plant-based food sector.