Nearly 70% of parents in the U.S. don’t think the country’s standard diet is healthy for their children, according to poll results released this week by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Michigan.
“This may reflect parent recognition that the standard American diet is characterized by high amounts of saturated fats, added sugars, sodium, and refined carbohydrates, which can generate an excess intake of calories beyond nutritional needs,” said a press release from the hospital regarding the poll of parents with children age 3 to 10. “This can contribute to excess weight and weight-related illnesses.”
One study published in 2015 found that more than 57% of the energy intake in the U.S. came from ultra-processed foods. Last year, Audacy reported on research that indicated that consumption of high-sugar, high-fat foods can even rewire the brain.
While only 32% of Mott National Poll respondents said they believe the standard American diet to be healthy for children, it still came in second place compared to the other diet options listed. Mediterranean diets with plant-based meals that often include lean meat and olive oil were top rated at 47%.
A version of this diet was one of four eating patterns that was “consistently associated with a lower risk of death,” according to a study published in the Jama Internal Medicine journal. These pattern measures were the: Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015), Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) score, Healthful Plant-based Diet Index (HPDI), and Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Audacy reported.
Just 31% of parents thought vegetarian diets were healthy, 22% said plant-based/vegan diets were and 13% approved of keto/low-carb diets for kids. However, smaller percentages reported trying alternate diets for their child: 8% tried Mediterranean, 9% tried vegetarian, 6% tried plant-based/vegan, and 4% tried keto/low-carb diets.
“When grocery shopping or planning meals, parents say they try to limit the amount of certain foods to help their child to maintain a healthy diet, including limiting foods with added sugars (59%), processed foods (54%), fat (17%) or meat (8%),” said the hospital.
It also said that 94% of parents report trying at least one strategy to get their child to eat vegetables, such as hiding them in other foods.
“Feeding young children can be difficult due to their general avoidance of unfamiliar foods and their frequently changing food preferences. The preschool and elementary age is an important time to establish healthy habits around eating patterns and taste preferences, yet parents often wonder whether their child is eating enough and getting the nutrients they need,” according to the Mott study.
Even if parents run into challenges when it comes to feeding their children, there are some popular methods they shouldn’t bring to the table, Mott warned. For one, they shouldn’t ask children to eat everything on their plate before they get dessert. This approach can lead to overeating, especially if potion sizes are too large.
“Portion size is key to mitigating the risk of childhood obesity,” the hospital noted.
Other things parents can do is keep healthy meal and snack options stocked at home and model healthy eating behaviors for their children. That may sound easy, but Mott acknowledged that it can be a challenge for families, especially if parents have difficulty identifying unhealthy food due to confusing marketing, are unaware of the health risks associated with ultra-processed foods or have their own issues with intake of unhealthy foods.
Parents looking for a guide to portion sizes and healthy food options can check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate feature.