Most preschoolers aren't getting enough fruit and vegetables with many having diets that are high in sugar and saturated fat, new research has found.
New research from the University of Auckland, which claims to be the most comprehensive study into the diets of New Zealand preschoolers, found 61 percent of two-year-olds were not having enough vegetables and 45 percent not enough fruit.
The study found vegetable and fruit intake did improve by four-and-half years of age, but remained low with 48 percent not eating enough vegetables and 36 percent not having the recommended amount of fruit.
Head of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Auckland and lead researcher Professor Clare Wall told Ryan Bridge on AM while she was not surprised by the results, it did concern her.
Prof Wall said eating well is important for preschoolers' health, growth and development and it can also influence lifelong eating behaviours.
"The period from conception to five years of age is a highly sensitive window for strategies to encourage healthy eating and prevent childhood obesity and other health conditions associated with poor nutrition," Prof Wall said in a media release.
"It needs to be easier and more affordable for busy families to access fresh produce and wholegrain products which are high in fibre."
The research also found nearly all the children in the study had been fed hot chips, battered foods and takeaways from fast-food outlets in the four weeks prior to the information being collected.
It found nearly half of two-year-olds and 42 percent of four-year-olds were having at least one serving of sugary drink per week.
"It reflects a lot of our behaviour as New Zealanders in terms of what we eat," Prof Wall said. "The worrying thing is that if children are eating more of these unhealthy foods it means that it's displacing their healthy foods in their diet that are better for them."
"It puts them at risk of being an unhealthy weight, but also the sugary drinks will affect their teeth as well and puts them at risk of having poor dental health."
The study also highlighted inequalities in dietary quality, with children from lower socioeconomic households even less likely to meet healthy eating guidelines.
"We know that a lot of families struggle with access to healthy foods and this is a really difficult time, currently, with the increase in costs of food, particularly our fruit and vegetables and so the situation could be being made worse for some of these families."
The latest Statistics NZ figures for June found grocery food prices grew 7.6 percent when compared with June 2021. It also revealed the yearly prices of fruit and vegetables increased by 5.5 percent.
Prof Wall said preschoolers shouldn't be having any sugar drinks or takeaways but understands realistically some families will.
She urges families to consider what may be a healthier choice of takeaway food and limit consumption to a maximum of once a week.
