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The Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study

14/12/2009
The Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study
This is a dietary intake survey which provides
information on the diet and eating habits of
infants, toddlers and preschoolers living
in the United States.

In 2008, Nestlé Nutrition conducted a Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS), with children up to 4 years of age. This built on a study conducted in 2002 by Gerber, which studied the eating patterns and nutrient intakes of infants, toddlers and preschoolers living in the United States.  

The major objective of FITS is to learn about the nutrient intakes and gaps of the youngest U.S. population group and to understand what foods are being consumed at different developmental stages as children transition from an all milk diet onto the foods of the family. This contributes to the development of tailor-made nutrition solutions.


In 2008, Nestlé FITS Study highlighted the following:

  • Mothers are breastfeeding their children longer. In 2008, 33 percent of nine-to-11 month olds are still receiving breast milk compared to just 21 percent in 2002.
  • Fewer infants are consuming sweets or sweetened beverages. Seventeen percent of infants age six-to-eight months, consumed a dessert, sweet or sweetened beverage on a given day versus 36 percent in 2002. A similar change was seen for children age nine-to-11 months old, with 43 percent in 2008 versus 59 percent in 2002 consuming any dessert, sweet or sweetened beverage.
  • Fruit and vegetable consumption remains a problem for all age groups studied. About 25 percent of older infants, toddlers and preschoolers don’t eat a single serving of fruit on a given day, and 30 percent do not eat a single serving of vegetables. These findings are similar to those in FITS 2002 for infants and toddlers.
  • French fries are still the most popular vegetable among toddlers and preschoolers. However, among older babies there were improvements, and French fries are no longer ranked in the top five vegetables among infants age nine-to-11 months, compared to FITS 2002, when French fries ranked among the top vegetables in the diets of older infants on a given day.
  • Fewer toddlers were consuming sweetened beverages in 2008 than in 2002. This was especially true among children age 12-to-14 months (14 percent drank a sweetened beverage on a given day in 2008 versus 29 percent in 2002) and children18-to-20 months (29 percent in 2008 versus 47 percent in 2002).
  • On a given day 23 percent of toddlers 12-to-24 months and one third of preschoolers are consuming diets of less than the recommended 30-to-40 percent of calories from fat. Yet, 75 percent of preschoolers are consuming too much saturated fat.