Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Eat your vegetables.

A national survey published on Thursday suggests that American kids are not eating enough of them daily.

Fruit either.

About half (49.1 percent) of the 18,300 children aged 1-5 years surveyed did not eat a daily vegetable during the preceding week.

And 32.1 percent did not eat a daily fruit, according to the 2021 National Survey of Children's Health conducted by the US Census Bureau.

More than one-half (57.1 percent) of the children surveyed drank a sugar-sweetened beverage at least once during the preceding week.

The results varied from state to state.

In Vermont, for example, 30.4 percent of children did not eat a daily vegetable during the preceding week compared with 64.3 percent in Louisiana.

The percentage of children who did not eat a daily fruit or vegetable was highest among Black children and lowest among non-Hispanic white children, the survey found.

Nearly 65 percent of Black children surveyed did not eat a daily vegetable during the preceding week compared with 43.4 percent of white children.

As for fruit, 50.7 percent of Black children did not eat a daily fruit during the preceding compared with 26.1 percent of white children.

The survey's authors noted that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides the nutrients needed to support optimal growth and development among young children.

And added sugars such as those found in sugar-sweetened beverages are associated with increased risk of obesity, cavities, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

© 2023 AFP