Researchers studied over 1,000 young children to see how much the meals and snacks they eat at daycare affect their overall nutrition. They found that children who spend a full day at daycare programs get more than half their fruits, whole grains, and dairy from those meals and snacks. Even better, the food at these programs tends to be healthier overall—kids eat less salt, saturated fat, and added sugar when eating at daycare compared to meals at home. This suggests that federal food programs for childcare are doing a good job helping children develop healthy eating habits.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: How much the meals and snacks served at daycare programs contribute to what young children eat throughout the entire day
- Who participated: 1,004 children between ages 1 and 6 who attended daycare programs that participate in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
- Key finding: Children who spend a full day at daycare get more than half their daily fruits, whole grains, and dairy from daycare meals and snacks. Plus, they eat less salt, unhealthy fat, and added sugar on days they attend daycare compared to days they don’t.
- What it means for you: If your child attends a daycare program, those meals and snacks are likely helping them eat better overall. The program appears to support healthier eating habits by providing nutritious meals and limiting unhealthy ingredients.
The Research Details
Researchers looked at what 1,004 young children ate on specific days when they attended daycare programs that receive federal food assistance. They compared what kids ate at daycare to what they ate at other times on the same day (like meals at home). This type of study is called an observational study because researchers watched and recorded what happened without changing anything. The children ranged from 1 to 6 years old and attended early care and education programs across the United States. Researchers used detailed food records to track everything the children ate and drank throughout the day, then analyzed how much of each food group came from daycare versus other sources.
This research approach is important because it shows real-world eating patterns for children in daycare settings. By comparing what kids eat at daycare to what they eat elsewhere on the same day, researchers can see the actual impact of these federal food programs. This helps policymakers and parents understand whether these programs are working to improve children’s nutrition.
This study included a large number of children (over 1,000), which makes the results more reliable. The researchers used standardized methods to measure food intake and compared eating patterns within the same children on the same days, which is a strong research design. The study was based on real data from a national survey, making it representative of children across the country. However, the study only looked at one day of eating for each child, so it shows a snapshot rather than long-term patterns.
What the Results Show
Children who spent a full day at daycare got the majority of their daily intake from daycare meals and snacks: 54% of their fruit, 67% of their whole grains, and 61% of their dairy products. This means daycare programs are a major source of these healthy foods for young children. When children were at daycare for a full day, they also consumed significantly more dairy and whole grains compared to when they were not at daycare. On daycare days, children ate about one-third cup more dairy per 1,000 calories and about one-tenth ounce more whole grains per 1,000 calories. These are meaningful increases in nutritious foods that support children’s growth and development.
The study also found that children ate less of several unhealthy components on daycare days. They consumed about 211 milligrams less sodium (salt), 2.1 grams less saturated fat, and 6.8 grams less added sugar per 1,000 calories when at daycare compared to other times. Children also ate slightly less vegetables and protein foods at daycare, though this difference was small. For children whose families had stable access to food, the benefits of daycare nutrition were even stronger, particularly for whole grain intake. Interestingly, children experiencing food insecurity at home showed similar improvements in salt, fat, and sugar intake at daycare, suggesting the program helps all children regardless of household food security.
This research adds important evidence to what we know about federal food assistance programs for children. While previous studies have looked at whether these programs help reduce childhood hunger, this study specifically shows how daycare meals improve the overall quality of what children eat. The findings align with the goals of the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which was designed to provide nutritious meals to young children in care settings. This research confirms that the program is achieving those goals by providing healthier options than what many children might eat at home.
The study only looked at what children ate on a single day, so it doesn’t show whether these patterns continue over weeks or months. The researchers relied on parents and caregivers to report what children ate at home, which might not be completely accurate. The study also couldn’t determine why children ate less vegetables and protein at daycare—it could be due to portion sizes, food preferences, or how meals are served. Additionally, the study was conducted in 2017, so eating patterns may have changed since then.
The Bottom Line
If your child attends a daycare program that participates in federal food assistance programs, the meals and snacks provided are likely supporting healthy eating habits. Parents should feel confident that these programs are helping their children get important nutrients like dairy and whole grains while limiting unhealthy ingredients like excess salt and sugar. (Confidence level: Moderate to High—based on a large study with real-world data)
Parents of young children in daycare should care about these findings, as it shows their child’s daycare meals are contributing meaningfully to their nutrition. Policymakers and educators should also pay attention, as this research supports continued funding and improvement of these food programs. Families experiencing food insecurity may find this especially relevant, as the program appears to help all children eat better regardless of household food security. This research is less relevant for families who keep their children home or use in-home childcare without these programs.
The benefits of better nutrition from daycare meals happen immediately—children are eating healthier foods on the days they attend daycare. However, the long-term health benefits of eating more whole grains, dairy, and less salt and sugar develop over months and years as these eating patterns become habits.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track your child’s daily food intake by meal location (daycare vs. home) for one week. Record the amounts of dairy, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and sodium consumed at each location to see how daycare meals compare to home meals.
- Use the app to set a goal of matching the nutritional quality of daycare meals when preparing food at home. Focus on increasing whole grains, dairy, and fruits while reducing added salt and sugar in home-prepared meals to maintain the healthy eating patterns started at daycare.
- Weekly review of your child’s nutrition by meal location. Compare average daily intake of key nutrients (dairy, whole grains, sodium, added sugars) between daycare and home meals. Adjust home meal planning based on what your child is already receiving at daycare to avoid duplication and ensure balanced overall nutrition.
This research shows that daycare food programs appear to support healthier eating for young children, but individual results may vary based on specific programs and children’s preferences. This information is not a substitute for personalized nutrition advice from your child’s pediatrician or a registered dietitian. If you have concerns about your child’s nutrition or dietary needs, please consult with a healthcare professional. The findings reflect data from 2017 and may not represent all current daycare programs or regional variations in food service.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.