SACN’s report, Feeding young children aged 1-5 years, published

The Academy of Nutrition Sciences welcomes the new report from SACN (the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition), Feeding young children aged 1 to 5 years, published on 4 July 2023. The new report accompanies the Feeding in the first year of life report, which was published by SACN in 2018.

Feeding young children aged 1 to 5 years is the result of a comprehensive review of the scientific basis of current dietary recommendations for this age group. In line with best practice, the evidence considered was primarily systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials, prospective cohort studies and non-randomised studies of interventions.

The report considers:

·       national survey data on food and nutrient intakes and status, the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and dental caries in children aged 1-5 years

·       evidence from systematic reviews examining a number of dietary factors and child, adolescent and adult health outcomes, as well as evidence on factors that influence eating and feeding behaviour, and diversification of the diet in the early years.

Feeding young children aged 1 to 5 years concludes that the current diet of young children in the UK, as captured in dietary surveys, does not meet current dietary recommendations for several nutrients, and a long list of recommendations to address this can be found in Chapter 12. SACN recommends that government considers a range of strategies and actions to improve the diets of children aged 1 to 5 years, and continues to monitor dietary intakes, and the nutritional, weight and oral health status of young children. A chapter is also devoted to research recommendations.

A series of annexes provide detailed information on the methods used (including literature search), data extraction evidence tables, quality assessment and grading of the systematic review evidence, and additional analyses.

The British Dietetic Association’s Obesity Specialist Group welcomed the report, commenting that it highlights the importance of early nutrition and a balanced intake of nutrients from foods. The early years are when many food habits are formed that can last into adulthood. For those working with young children and their families, ensuring that parents and carers are aware of appropriate portion sizes for age is an important message from this report. The authors found that a higher intake of energy and protein, from large portions sizes, was associated with a higher BMI in young children, as was a high intake of sugar from sweetened drinks. Dietitians and registered nutritionists are best placed to help with advice around early years feeding and portions sizes.