Study: Oklahoma children not eating enough fruit, vegetables

FILE – Vegetables are displayed in a produce part at a grocery store in New York, Monday, May 17, 2021. On Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, the U.S. Agriculture Department issued new necessities for meals labeled as “organic,” a transfer aimed toward cracking down on fraud and boosting oversight of merchandise more and more sought by customers searching for wholesome and environmentally sustainable choices. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Health officers say Oklahoma children are not getting enough fruits and vegetables of their each day diets, in keeping with a brand new examine.

‘Variations in Fruit, Vegetable, and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Young Children by State, United States 2021’ analyzed data from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health.

The survey discovered that many younger children between one and 5-years-old are not eating fruits and vegetables each day and are recurrently ingesting sugar-sweetened drinks.

“This information shows us where there is a gap,” stated Fahad Khan, OSDH’s Community Analysis and Linkages Director. “In order to close the gap and improve diet quality, efforts must focus on ways to increase availability, accessibility, and affordability of fruits and vegetables. Food insecurity definitely plays a role in the data inside of this report.”

According to the examine, 37.5% of Oklahoma children did not eat a each day fruit in the course of the earlier week. Also, 57.5% did not eat a each day vegetable in the course of the earlier week, and 72.6% drank a sugar-sweetened drink not less than as soon as every week.

“Healthy eating is crucial to help prevent our kids from developing chronic disease and obesity. We know that creating healthy lifestyles that lead to a prosperous life, start at a young age,” stated Shelly Patterson, OSDH’s Chronic Disease Prevention Director.

Officials say Oklahoma ranks amongst worst within the nation on the subject of meals insecurity, forty fifth for little one meals insecurity, and forty sixth for total meals insecurity fee.