1.19 to 3.55 servings a day — that was the global range of healthy plant-based food intake among people ages 0 to 19 in 2018, according to a BMJ Global Health study.
1,248 dietary surveys from 185 countries showed intake generally rose with age, but stayed lowest in South Asia; East and Southeast Asia led several age groups, largely because of higher nonstarchy vegetable consumption.
U.S. children stood out for a sharp drop: those under 2 consumed 2.7 servings a day, while ages 2 to 19 averaged 1.8, placing later-childhood and teen intake among the lowest.
Girls consumed more fruit and nonstarchy vegetables in most regions, while urban youth and children from more educated households generally ate more healthy plant-based foods.
Compared with 1990, global youth in 2018 ate more nonstarchy vegetables and nuts and seeds and fewer starchy vegetables, but researchers said overall intake still remains too low.