Bringing school meals in line with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines will involve more than changing nutrient standards and revising menu planning regulations. SNDA-III provides evidence that, despite the hard work of many individuals, schools, and organizations, SMI goals were not fully achieved....

This article describes the study design, data collection methods, 24-hour dietary recall protocol, and sample characteristics.

At schools, consumption of energy from low-nutrient, energy-dense foods may be reduced by limiting access to competitive foods and beverages, enforcing strong school wellness policies, and minimizing the frequency of offering french fries and similar potato products and higher-fat baked goods in...

Findings identify feeding and dietary issues that begin during infancy and are also present in toddler and preschool stages. These findings are useful for WIC nutritionists and health care practitioners to encourage the early development of healthful eating patterns.

This guest editorial describes findings from FITS 2008, places the results in the context of other large-scale nutrition studies for infants and toddlers, and examines the potential impact on policymakers’ efforts to address childhood obesity.

More parents and caregivers can benefit from guidance about the introduction of developmentally appropriate, micronutrient-rich first solid foods such as iron-rich infant cereals, iron-fortified grain products, meats, soft fruits, and cooked vegetables and the importance of breastfeeding through...

This article describes the dietary habits of 2- and 3-year-olds. Almost three-quarters of children consumed fruit, and about 70 percent ate vegetables at least once in a day. However, french fries and other fried potatoes were the most commonly eaten vegetable, and about 85 percent consumed some...

This study estimated the mean calories from added sugars saved by switching sugar-sweetened beverages (including soda, fruit-flavored drinks, and sport drinks) and flavored milks consumed to unflavored low-fat milk (less than 1 percent fat) at meals and water between meals. These changes, which...

As part of a broader study to assess the science base of dietary guidance for children ages 2 to 18 years, Mathematica conducted a systematic review of the literature on food and nutrient intake and weight management published in 2004-2008. This report summarizes studies published since the 2005...