Young Children's Fruits, Vegetables and Sugary Drinks, by State, 2021

CDC.

Key points

In 2021, according to parents, among U.S. children aged 1–5, in the past week:

• about 1 in 3 (32.1%) did not eat fruit every day;
• nearly 1 in 2 (49.1%) did not eat a vegetable every day;
• more than half (57.1%) drank a sugar-sweetened beverage at least once.

States differed widely:

• In 20 states, more than half of young children did not eat a vegetable daily — from 30.4% in Vermont to 64.3% in Louisiana.
• Missing daily fruit ranged from 16.3% (Vermont) to 49.9% (Louisiana).
• In 40 states and D.C., more than half drank a sugary drink in the past week — from about 39% in Maine to 79.3% in Mississippi.

Why it matters

Good nutrition in early childhood supports growth, development and health. Federal dietary guidelines call for fruits and vegetables every day and limited added sugars, including sugary drinks. Added sugars are linked to obesity, tooth decay, diabetes and heart disease. Yet national estimates of young children's diets were out of date, and state estimates did not exist.

The data

CDC analyzed the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health, run by the Health Resources and Services Administration and conducted by the Census Bureau, for 18,386 children aged 1–5.

• A household adult reported how often the child had fruit (fresh, frozen or canned, not juice), vegetables (not fries or chips) and sugar-sweetened beverages (soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, sweet tea — not 100% juice) in the past week.
• Fruit and vegetables were classed as daily or less than daily; sugary drinks as any or none.
• Data were collected June 2021–January 2022, in English and Spanish.

Who is affected most

• One-year-olds ate fruit and vegetables daily more often, and drank sugary drinks less, than older children; sugary drinks rose steadily with each year of age.
• Children in households that could not always afford the food they should eat were less likely to eat fruit and vegetables daily and more likely to have sugary drinks.

Children aged 1–5 who (A) ate vegetables less than daily or (B) had at least one sugar-sweetened beverage in the past week, by state, 2021. CDC.

What can help

• WIC, the USDA nutrition program for low-income families, provides nutrition education, foods including fruits and vegetables, and health referrals.
• Nutrition standards in early care and education and in the charitable food system can improve access to fruits and vegetables and limit added sugars. CDC supports state licensing standards for healthy eating, training for child care staff, and hands-on food, farm and garden programs for young children.
• Produce vouchers and the Child and Adult Care Food Program have put more nutritious food in front of children.
• Education through home visiting, Healthy Start and SNAP-Ed can reinforce the message.
• Health care providers can give anticipatory guidance and screen and counsel families on food and nutrition security.
• Knowing how access, cost and taste shape young children's diets can help tailor programs and messages.

Limitations

• An adult reported the child's intake and might not know everything the child ate.
• The survey measured how often, not how much, so intake cannot be compared with recommendations.
• It was offered only in English and Spanish.
• A single week may not reflect usual intake.

Sources

Based on Heather C. Hamner, Carrie A. Dooyema, Heidi M. Blanck et al., "Fruit, Vegetable, and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Young Children, by State — United States, 2021," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the Health Resources and Services Administration; a work of the United States government in the public domain. The report gives Maine's figure for sugary drinks as 38.6% in its summary and 38.8% in its results.