Department of Pediatrics/Section of Nutrition, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO.
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Apr 1;107(4):576-583. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqx079.
Exposure to vegetable flavors during infancy and toddlerhood is hypothesized to enhance vegetable acceptance when children transition to table foods.
We sought to examine the vegetable types, ingredients, and nutrient contents of vegetable-containing infant and toddler foods (ITFs) manufactured and sold in the United States.
A database of ITFs that contain vegetables (n = 548) was compiled from websites of companies based in the United States (n = 24). Product information was recorded, including intended age or stage, ingredient lists, and selected nutrients from the Nutrition Facts label. Ingredient lists were used to categorize vegetables using the USDA vegetable categories: dark green (e.g., spinach), red and orange (e.g., carrots), starchy (e.g., green peas, corn), beans and peas (e.g., black beans), and other (e.g., green beans, beets). Furthermore, products were categorized as single-vegetable, multi-vegetable, vegetable and fruit, vegetable and meat, or vegetable and other combinations (e.g., grains and and or dairy). Nutrients were examined, including energy (kilocalories), carbohydrates, fiber, and total sugars [per serving, per 100 g, per reference amount customarily consumed (RACC), and percentage of kilocalories from sugars].
Of the 548 vegetable products, only 52 single-vegetable products (9.5%) were identified, none of which contained dark green vegetables or beans and peas. Red and orange vegetables most often appeared as the first ingredient (23.7%) compared to other vegetable types, such as dark green vegetables, which were rarely listed first (1.1%). Fruits were listed as the first ingredient more commonly than all vegetables (37.8%). One-way ANOVA revealed that vegetable and fruit products contained more sugars on average than did vegetable products with other ingredients, such as dairy and/or grains (all P values < 0.001).
Current available products do not provide caregivers with a sufficient variety of single-vegetable products or products containing dark green vegetables to facilitate children's subsequent acceptance of these vegetables. Guidance should include making caregivers aware of the limitations of commercial ITFs manufactured and sold in the US market.
婴幼儿时期接触蔬菜味道被假设可以增强儿童过渡到食用餐桌食物时对蔬菜的接受度。
我们旨在检查美国制造和销售的含蔬菜婴儿和幼儿食品（ITF）的蔬菜类型、成分和营养含量。
从总部设在美国的公司网站（n=24）上编制了一份含蔬菜 ITF 数据库（n=548）。记录了产品信息，包括目标年龄或阶段、成分清单和营养成分标签上的选定营养素。成分清单用于根据美国农业部的蔬菜分类来对蔬菜进行分类：深绿色（如菠菜）、红色和橙色（如胡萝卜）、淀粉类（如青豆、玉米）、豆类和豌豆（如黑豆）和其他（如绿豆、甜菜）。此外，产品分为单一蔬菜、多种蔬菜、蔬菜和水果、蔬菜和肉类或蔬菜和其他组合（如谷物和/或乳制品）。检查了营养素，包括能量（千卡）、碳水化合物、纤维和总糖（每份、每 100 克、每习惯性食用参考量（RACC）和糖占卡路里的百分比）。
在 548 种蔬菜产品中，仅确定了 52 种单一蔬菜产品（9.5%），其中没有一种含有深绿色蔬菜或豆类和豌豆。与其他类型的蔬菜（如很少被列为第一成分的深绿色蔬菜，1.1%）相比，红色和橙色蔬菜通常作为第一成分出现。水果比所有蔬菜更常被列为第一成分（37.8%）。单因素方差分析显示，蔬菜和水果产品的平均糖含量高于含有其他成分（如乳制品和/或谷物）的蔬菜产品（所有 P 值均<0.001）。
目前可用的产品不能为照顾者提供足够多的单一蔬菜产品或含有深绿色蔬菜的产品，以促进儿童随后对这些蔬菜的接受度。指南应包括让照顾者意识到美国市场制造和销售的商业 ITF 的局限性。
