Percentage of children aged 4 to 8 years who consume less than the recommended number of servings per day, by type of food, Canada excluding the territories, 2004 – The Health of Canada’s Children and Youth

2.2.1 Percentage of children aged 4 to 8 years who consume less than the recommended number of servings per day, by type of food, Canada excluding the territories, 2004

Chart
Table

	Vegetables and Fruit	Milk Products	Grains
Meeting recommended number of servings	71	37	27

Note:
Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating for People Four Years Old and Over recommends: a minimum of five servings of vegetables and fruit; a minimum of two servings of milk a day; a minimum of 5 servings of grains a day.

Source: CICH graphic created using data adapted from Garriguet, D. Overview of Canadians’ Eating Habits. Statistics Canada, Health Statistics Division. Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey. 2004.

71% of children aged 4 to 8 years eat less than the recommended minimum number of servings of vegetables and fruit (5 servings) per day.

37% consume less than the recommended number of servings of milk products per day (2 servings).

27% of children aged 4 to 8 years consume less than the recommended minimum number of servings of grains (5 servings).

Implications
Canada’s Food Guide recommends the amount and type of food that children and youth should eat in order to meet their needs for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients; reduce their risk of certain health conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease; and help children and youth remain healthy, energetic and vital. Therefore, the children who are not eating the amount and type of food recommended risk not only having sub-optimum health and vitality as children and youth, but also developing health problems.