Ana Isabel Reyes-Domínguez, Javier Bernabeu-Sendra, Cristina Rodríguez-Sinovas, Alicia Santamaria-Orleans, Roser de Castellar-Sanso, Jorge Martinez-Perez
During the last decade, feeding patterns, more specifically those of children, have worsened-affecting dietary habits and Mediterranean diet adherence. Here, we examine the post-pandemic feeding habits of Spanish toddlers. A total of 2465 parents of children aged between 12 and 36 months completed an online 25-item multiple-choice survey asking about dietary habits and Mediterranean diet adherence. Only 34 children (1.38%) had an adequate intake of all of the food groups included in the questionnaire. Adherence worsened as toddlers grew ( < 0.0001). Further, lower compliance was found in children with a higher intake of fast food ( < 0.001), those with siblings ( = 0.0045), and children who were the second or third child ( = 0.0005). The food group with the most commonly reported adequate intake was fish (88% of children), followed by pulses (80%), water (79%), and meat (78%). Cow's milk was the most commonly consumed dairy product among all age groups analyzed. Half of the children exhibited a low consumption of milk and dairy products. These results showed that a lack of adherence to a balanced diet is common among Spanish toddlers in the post-pandemic period and that greater parent education could improve the nutrition of toddlers.
