Snack frequency, size, and energy density are associated with diet quality among US adolescents.

Objective: To evaluate snacking and diet quality among US adolescents.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis examined snack frequency (snacks/day), size (kcal/snack) and energy density (kcal/g/snack) as predictors of diet quality using the mean of two 24-h dietary recalls. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015, 0-100), a mean adequacy ratio (MAR, 0-100) for under-consumed nutrients (potassium, fibre, Ca, vitamin D) and mean percentage of recommended limits for over-consumed nutrients (added sugar, saturated fat, Na).

Age-related differences in eating location, food source location, and timing of snack intake among U.S. children 1-19 years.

Background: Snacking is nearly universal and contributes significant energy to U.S. children's diets.

Caregiver feeding decisions and sociodemographic characteristics are associated with snack food intake during infancy and toddlerhood.

Snacking starts early in childhood, yet little is known about child versus family influences on snacking during infancy and toddlerhood. This secondary analysis of baseline data examined associations of child characteristics (e.g.

Association of weight status with the types of foods consumed at snacking occasions among US adolescents.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate snack food-group composition by weight status among United States adolescents.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of adolescent food-group-component intake from snacking occasions using two 24-hour dietary recalls from the 2007 through 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; n = 5264; 12-19 years) was conducted. ANCOVA models evaluated food intakes by BMI percentile (BMI%; normal weight [NW]: <85th BMI%; overweight [OW]: 85th-95th BMI%; and obesity [OB]: ≥95th BMI%), adjusting for energy misreporting and key covariates.

Association of Snacking Frequency, Size, and Energy Density with Weight Status among Preschool-Aged Children in the United States.

Background: Snacking (ie, eating between meals) is common among US preschool-aged children, but associations with weight status are unclear.

Objective: This research evaluated associations of snack frequency, size, and energy density as well as the percent of daily energy from snacking with weight status and sociodemographic characteristics among US children aged 2 to 5 years.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of 2007-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data using two, caregiver proxy, 24-hour dietary recalls.

Frequency of Sweet and Salty Snack Food Consumption Is Associated with Higher Intakes of Overconsumed Nutrients and Weight-For-Length z Scores During Infancy and Toddlerhood.

Background: Current dietary guidelines recommend avoiding foods and beverages with added sugars and higher sodium before age 2 years.

Objective: The aim was to describe daily snack food intake (frequency and total energy) and the associations with overconsumed nutrients (added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats) and child weight-for-length z scores.

Design: A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of baseline data from an ongoing longitudinal intervention was conducted.