Assessment of Milk and Beverage Intake Trends During Preschool Age and Modeling the Nutritional Impact of Replacing Nondairy Caloric Beverages with Milk

TL;DR

This study examines how preschool children's milk consumption has decreased over time and explores how replacing other drinks with milk could improve their nutrition.

Contribution

The study models the nutritional impact of replacing nondairy caloric beverages with milk in preschool children.

Findings

Milk intake decreased with age, while consumption of caloric and sugar-sweetened beverages increased.

Replacing nondairy beverages with milk improved intake of several nutrients like calcium and vitamin D.

Isocaloric substitution reduced intake of added sugars and fiber.

Abstract

Milk provides essential crucial public health nutrients, including 3–4 nutrients of public health concern, yet dairy consumption has declined over time, leading most Americans to fall short of meeting Dietary Guidelines recommendations.

To investigate milk and beverage consumption trends in preschool-age children, along with nutrient intakes from beverages, and to analyze the potential impact of replacing nondairy beverages with milk through isocaloric substitution.

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2018 for children aged 1–5 y (n = 4696) were used, and milk and other beverages intakes were estimated from the first 24-h in-person dietary recall. Nutrient intakes were determined using the United States Department of Agriculture’s food and nutrient database for dietary studies. Changes in nutrient intakes of children aged 2–5 y were modeled assuming isocaloric substitution with milk of all nondairy beverages consumed during lunch and dinner combined. Sample-weighted analyses were performed using SAS 9.4, and significance was set at P < 0.01.

With the increasing age of children, the intake of milk decreased, whereas the intake of energy, caloric beverages excluding milk, and sugar-sweetened beverages increased. Daily intakes of energy, protein, fat, saturated fatty acids (SFA), calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, vitamin A, folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D from caloric beverages including milk decreased with age, whereas the daily intake of fiber and added sugar increased with age. With the isocaloric replacement of nondairy caloric beverages with milk at lunch and dinner among children aged 2–5 y, intake of protein, fat, SFAs, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, vitamin A, folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D increased, whereas for intake of carbohydrate, fiber, total sugar, and added sugar decreased.

The current findings indicate that increased efforts are needed to reverse the decrease in milk intake over time and as preschool children age and provide additional evidence to support specific dietary recommendations for milk.