Energetic toddlers growing up on milk and junk food

A recent study published in Nutrition & Dietetics found that Australian toddlers are consuming more energy than they need.1 This is an important finding, as excess energy intake can lead to overweight and obesity over time.

Researchers from Sydney undertook an 18 month assessment of the diets of 429 children aged 16-24 months. They found that milk and milk products supplied about a third of the children’s energy intake. This is not surprising. The toddler years are a period of transition from a milk-based infant diet to a varied diet similar to what the rest of the family enjoys.

The study highlighted the important nutritional contribution that milk and dairy foods make to toddlers’ diets. For example, milk and dairy foods supplied over 80% of the calcium, about 60% of the riboflavin, almost 50% of the protein and potassium, and over 40% of the magnesium and zinc in the children’s diets.

What is concerning is that the toddlers got over a quarter of their energy from junk foods such as sweetened drinks, snack foods and confectionery.² Unlike milk and dairy foods, these foods are ‘empty calories’ – they supply energy but few essential nutrients. Foods consumed by the 16- to 24-month-olds included cola, sweet biscuits, doughnuts, potato crisps and fruit drinks.

Early childhood is an important time to establish healthy food habits. The Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia encourage parents to introduce toddlers to a wide variety of nutritious foods – fruit and vegetables, cereals, milk, yogurt and cheese, lean meat, fish, poultry and/or alternatives – in order for them to get enough of the nutrients that are essential for good health.³

Commenting on the study, Dr Tim Gill, Co-director of the Sydney University Centre for Public Health Nutrition said, "It was quite alarming to find that there were such a high proportion of calories in the diet coming from what we would call energy dense, nutrient poor foods."

Dr Gill added, "Your child should be learning to eat a varied diet and enjoying food. Set a healthy example by enjoying a diet containing plenty of fruit, vegetables, cereals, dairy foods and lean meats."

References:

Webb K, Rutishauser I, Knezevic N. Foods, nutrients and portions consumed by a sample of Australian children aged 16-24 months. Nutrition & Dietetics 2008; 65: 56-65.
Webb K, Lahti-Koski M, Rutishauser I, Hector DJ, Knezevic N, Gill T, et al. Consumption of ‘extra’ foods (energy-sense, nutrient-poor) among children aged 16-24 months from western Sydney, Australia. Public Health Nutrition 2006; 98: 1035-44.
National Health and Medical Research Council (2003) Dietary Guidelines for Australian Children and Adolescents in Australia. A guide to healthy eating. Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging, Canberra. Available at: www.nhmrc.gov.au/pubilcations