Nutrient Intakes and Food Sources of Filipino Infants, Toddlers and Young Children are Inadequate: Findings from the National Nutrition Survey 2013

Comprehensive assessment of nutrient intakes and food sources of nutrients in Filipino children under 5 years old are lacking. We studied energy and nutrient intakes and food sources in 4218 children aged 6⁻59.9 months using two 24-h dietary recalls. Usual energy and nutrient intakes were estimated using the PC-SIDE program. Reported foods and beverages were assigned to one of 85 food groups. Percentage contribution of each food group to nutrient intake was calculated. The results showed that the intake of total fat as a percentage of energy and of most micronutrients were highly inadequate. The prevalence of inadequate nutrient intakes, defined as the percent of children with intakes less than the estimated average requirements (EAR) ranged from 60⁻90% for iron, calcium, vitamin C, and zinc and ranged from 30⁻50% for others such as vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, and phosphorus. The diets of these children were composed of limited foods, namely a large amount of refined rice and other low-nutrient-dense foods (cookies and sugar), while vegetables, fruits, meats, and eggs made little contribution to daily energy or nutrients. These findings provide direction to health professionals developing food-based recommendations and strategies to tackle the shortfalls in the diet of this population.