NIHR research call on early years nutrition

An NIHR research call on early years nutrition has been published, specifically addressing research recommendations made in SACN’s 'Feeding young children aged 1 to 5 years' report.

NIHR invites research proposals on:

• Quantification of age-appropriate portion sizes for different foods and drinks, including for vegetables, fruit, fruit juice and milk, for children aged 1 to 5 years.

• Consideration of the potential short- and long-term health effects in young children of consuming fruit juice (and smoothies) in relation to free sugars intakes (see Swan et al, 2018 for definition)

• Consideration of the potential short- and long-term health effects (including on oral health where relevant) in young children of consuming:

• formula milks marketed for children over the age of 1 year in relation to free sugars intakes

• commercially manufactured foods and drinks specifically marketed for infants and young children

• low or no calorie sweeteners

• saturated fat, mono and polyunsaturated fats

• dietary fibre

• animal compared with vegetable protein

• Consideration of the potential short- and long-term health effects of vegetarian and vegan diets, and plant-based foods, drinks and diets in young children.

• Consideration of the impact of suboptimal micronutrient intakes and status (including iron, vitamin A and vitamin D) on growth, and developmental and health outcomes (including oral

• health) of young children.

Please share NIHR’s research call with your networks.