Location influences snacking behavior of US infants, toddlers and preschool children

Abstract

BackgroundCompare at-home and away-from-home snacking patterns of US infants and young children.MethodsA secondary analysis was conducted using nationwide, cross-sectional dietary survey data from the US Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2008. The sample included infants (6–11.9 months, n = 505), toddlers (12–23.9 months, n = 925), preschool children (24–47.9 months, n = 1461). Weighted population descriptive statistics (means and standard errors) were calculated using SAS. Significance was determined at P ≤ 0.05. The main outcome measures of the analyses were the percent of children consuming snacks by location (at home, away from home) and snacking period (morning, afternoon and evening), energy and food groups consumed during snacks.ResultsSnacking at home was more prevalent than snacking away from home (toddlers, 73% vs 27%; preschoolers, 67% vs 33%). Away-from-home snacks provided about 50 additional calories per day for toddlers (346 vs 298 kcal/day, P ≤ 0.05) and preschoolers (371 vs 326 kcal/day, P ≤ 0.05) versus snacks consumed at home. Caregivers made similar snack choices for toddlers and preschoolers (milk/milk products, fruit/juice, grains and sweets) but differed in frequency of consumption by location. Among toddlers, milk/milk products were the most frequently consumed snacks at home (66%), while sweets were the top snacks consumed away from home (69%). Among preschoolers, sweets were the top snacks both at home (60%) and away (83%).ConclusionsLocation is an important factor influencing snacking patterns of young children and should be considered when developing feeding guidelines. This data may be of use in the upcoming development of dietary guidelines in the U.S. for the population aged 0–2 years.

Time, location and frequency of snack consumption in different age groups of Canadians

“…The propensity of adults to snack away from home, especially at work, highlights the opportunity for health promotion initiatives encouraging healthy food and drink availability at work. Several studies have previously reported the number or proportion of snacks consumed at home and away from home by children and adolescents [7,[15][16][17][18][19]. Our results revealed that children, especially older ones (6-12 years), tended to consume more snacks away from home (about 38%) than other age groups.…”

Daily Snacking Occasions, Snack Size, and Snack Energy Density as Predictors of Diet Quality among US Children Aged 2 to 5 Years

“…Some data indicate that snacks consumed outside of the home, particularly in the afternoon, may represent important contextual targets for addressing snack quality and size. Data from the 2008 Feeding Infants and Toddlers study revealed that US toddlers and preschoolers consume more calories from snacks eaten away from home than at home [40]. Among children 4–13 years participating in 2009–2012 NHANES, afternoon snacking occasions were the most energy-dense and least nutrient-dense [9].…”

Added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium intake from snacks among U.S. adolescents by eating location

“…While consumption of food away from home is associated with greater weight gain over time and poorer diet quality in children and adolescents ( Powell and Nguyen, 2013 ), the prevalence of snacking at home versus away from home among US adolescents is presently unknown. While snacking at home has been reported to be more prevalent than snacking away from home in 13–18 year-old Canadians (74%) ( Vatanparast et al, 2020 ), the prevalence of snacking at home versus away from home among U.S. children and adolescents has been documented only in toddlers (73% at home) and preschoolers (67% at home) ( Jacquier et al, 2018 ). Furthermore, the contribution of snacks consumed at home versus away from home to intakes of added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium has not been evaluated.…”