Curriculum intervention in preschool children: Nutrition Matters!

Young children, between birth and 5 years of age, require good nutrition for optimal physical growth and development. Proper nutrition enhances a child’s ability to learn and be ready to fully participate in school. The importance of consuming more fruits and vegetables continues to be emphasized in the United States Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. Children 2-5 years old need to increase consumption of vegetables (especially dark green and orange), legumes, and whole grains; and decrease consumption of saturated fat, sodium, and extra calories from solid fats and added sugars. Studies from child care centers report preschool children are not consuming the recommended amounts of whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. Children from low-income communities confront many barriers to consuming fruits and vegetables. Besides financial constraints, availability of fruits and vegetables in low-income areas seems to account for some of the disparities. The prevalence of obesity among low-income, preschool-aged children in the United States increased from 12.4% in 1998 to 14.6% in 2008; the combined prevalence rate of obesity/ overweight was 31.1%. It is more effective to influence children’s eating