Food choices at lunch during the third year of life: increase in energy intake but decrease in variety.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Child Development
• Dietary Habits

Background:

• Understanding dietary patterns in early childhood is crucial for long-term health.
• Limited research exists on the evolution of food choices and energy intake between ages 2 and 3.

Purpose of the Study:

• To model changes in energy intake and food variety at lunchtime.
• To examine the relationship between these dietary variables and child/contextual factors.

Main Methods:

• One-year longitudinal study of 395 children (ages 2-3).
• Lunchtime food choices and portion sizes recorded in a nursery canteen.
• Energy intake and food variety estimated using mixed-effects models.

Main Results:

• Energy intake increased from age 2 to 3.
• Food variety initially decreased then stabilized.
• Higher energy intake was linked to higher BMI at age 2.
• Longer breastfeeding duration correlated with greater food variety.

Conclusions:

• A decrease in food variety during the third year of life is a normal developmental phase.
• Extended breastfeeding is associated with increased dietary variety in toddlers.