Meat consumption among 18-month-old children participating in the Childhood Asthma Prevention Study

<b>Objective</b>: To document meat consumption among 18-month-old children, for use in refining population dietary assessment methods and dietary guidance for young children.<br /><br /><b>Design</b>: A secondary analysis of data collected in 1998-2000 from the 18 months follow up of the Childhood Asthma Prevention Study: an intervention trial of omega-3 oil supplementation and house-dust mite reduction, from birth to five years.<br /><br /><b>Subjects and setting</b>: Pregnant women whose unborn children had an atopic family history were recruited from antenatal clinics of six hospitals in western Sydney. Carers of 429 18-month-old children (80% response) satisfactorily completed three-day weighed food records.<br /><br /><b>Main outcome measures</b>: Mean and median intakes per day and portion sizes of various meats and meat products.<br /><br /><b>Statistical analyses</b>: T-tests for comparing gender differences; Pearson correlation and one-way analysis of variance for relationships between meat and nutrient intake.<br /><br /><b>Results</b>: During the recording period 94% of the children ate meat. McDonald's Chicken McNuggets^TM, beef mince, and beef sausages were the most frequently consumed meats. Median portion sizes ranged from 20-50 g, and were considerably smaller than 'usual' portions specified on food frequency questionnaires in common use. Higher meat diets in this age group were not associated with higher intakes of iron or zinc per MJ.<br /><br /><b>Conclusion</b>: The marginally low intakes of iron and zinc in this age group could be improved by greater use of cuts of red meat appropriately prepared for toddlers. <br />