Children Worldwide Still Falling Short on Fruits, Vegetables and Legumes, New Global Study Finds

A new analysis published in BMJ Global Health has found that children and adolescents across 185 countries are still not consuming enough healthful plant-based foods, with intake ranging from just over one serving per day in infants to under four servings per day in older teenagers. The study, led by Tufts University's Food is Medicine Institute, utilized data from 1990 to 2018 from the Global Dietary Database, tracking intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts among youth aged 0 to 19.

Globally, total intake of healthful plant-based foods remains below recommended levels, with South Asia showing the lowest intake and East and Southeast Asia showing the highest. The United States and other high-income countries exhibited a pattern where consumption of these foods declined with age, contrary to the global trend. The study highlights the importance of improving access to nutritious foods for children and adolescents to support their development and reduce chronic disease risk later in life.