(P24-060-23) Contribution of Lunch to Food and Energy Intakes of Children and Adolescents, What We Eat in America, NHANES 2017–March 2020 Prepandemic

Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe foods consumed at lunch by children and adolescents and their contribution to energy intake using nationally representative dietary intake data.

Methods: One day dietary intake data of children/adolescents 2-19 y (N=4091) from What We Eat in America (WWEIA), NHANES 2017-March 2020 Prepandemic were used. Eating occasions reported by the participant as “lunch”, “brunch” or the Spanish version “comida“ were included. The WWEIA Food Categories were used to describe foods consumed. For foods coded as multiple line items linked with a combination code, systematic rules were developed to assign all items to one WWEIA Food Category. Comparisons of percent reporting by demographics were made using t-tests; results were considered significant at P< 0.001. Percent reporting the WWEIA Food Categories at lunch and top contributors to lunch energy intake are described.

Results: Lunch was reported by 85% of children/adolescents and did not vary by sex. Overall, fewer of those 12-19 years reported having lunch compared to either 2-5 or 2-11-year-olds (P < 0.001). Fewer Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children/adolescents reported lunch compared to Non-Hispanic White children/adolescents (P < 0.001). Those at < 131% Poverty Income Ratio (PIR) reported lunch less frequently compared to those >350 % PIR (P < 0.001). Among lunch consumers, 31% reported Sandwiches, 14% Chicken nuggets and tenders, and 11% Pizza. Most frequently reported beverages were 33% Water, 27% Sweetened Beverages, and 9% each Flavored Milk and 100% Juice. Less than one-quarter of children/adolescents reported Fruits (21%) and Vegetables (23%); almost half of Vegetables were French fries. Top contributors to total daily lunch energy intake of reporters were 48% from Mixed Dishes, with nearly half coming from sandwiches; 11% from Protein Foods, primarily Poultry; 12% from Snacks and Sweets; and 7% from Non-alcoholic Beverages with most coming from sweetened beverages.

Conclusions: Characterization of food intake at lunch by children and adolescents can inform priorities for nutrition education and policy.

Funding Sources: This work was supported by ARS-USDA.