Testing if Parents are Making Healthy Nutritional Choices for Their Infants and Toddlers

Objective. This study was conducted to determine if parents of infants and toddlers were making healthy nutritional choices and if they are aware of the unhealthy ones. Background. Although levels of overweight and obesity among adults in the United States have reached epidemic proportions, concerns about overweight among children have only recently garnered the attention of public health researchers. The purpose of this study is to test parent’s awareness of what a nutritional healthy choice is. Methods. For this study an anonymous questionnaire was given out to mothers of infants and/or toddlers. The questionnaire was testing the mother’s knowledge about certain nutritional terms that are used to market “healthy” choices for children such as “Organic” and “sugar free”. Results. This study showed that mothers who chose to exclusively breastfeed and use homemade of the first introduction to solid food for their toddlers, make healthier nutritional choices then the mothers who don’t breastfeed. Yet, this study also showed that many mothers thought that “organic” and “sugar free” automatically means “Healthy” which is not true. Conclusion. There are many choices that are marketed for infants and toddlers as healthy food yet they are usually very high in sugar, sodium, and artificial ingredients. Parents should not fall into the marketing trap and should work on educating themselves on what healthy nutrition really means. Grants. None.