Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background

A person's daily nutrient intake and overall nutritional status are determined by a complex interplay of the types and amounts of foods ingested in combination with the timing and frequency of eating.

Objectives

The aim was to summarize frequency of eating occasion data examined by the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, the macronutrient contributions they provide, and meal frequency relative to dietary quality among the US population (≥2 y), with a focus on sex, age, race/Hispanic origin, and income.

Methods

Demographic and 24-h recall data from the 2013–2016 NHANES were examined. An eating occasion was defined as “any ingestive event (e.g., solid food, beverage, water) that is either energy yielding or non-energy yielding”; all eating occasions were further divided into discrete meals and snacks. Frequency of meals and snacks was defined as “the number of daily EOs [eating occasions],” respectively. Diet quality was assessed via the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)–2015.

Results

Most Americans consume 2 (28%) to 3 (64%) meals on a given day and >90% consume 2 to 3 snacks on that day. Adult, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Black and lower-income (<131% family poverty-to-income ratio) Americans had a lower frequency of eating than children or adolescents, non-Hispanic White, and non-Hispanic Asian Americans and higher-income Americans, respectively. Americans who reported 3 meals on a given day consumed a diet higher in dietary quality than Americans who consumed 2 meals on a given day (HEI-2015: 61.0 vs. 55.0), regardless of population subgroup.

Conclusions

The frequency of the types of eating occasions differs according to age, race and Hispanic origin, and income. Dietary quality is associated with the number of meals consumed. Healthy dietary patterns can be constructed in a variety of ways to suit different life stages, cultural practices, and income levels; improved diet quality and careful consideration of nutrient density when planning meals are warranted.

Details

Title
Frequency of Eating in the US Population: A Narrative Review of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report
Author
Bailey, Regan L 1 ; Leidy, Heather J 2 ; Mattes, Richard D 1 ; Heymsfield, Steven B 3 ; Boushey, Carol J 4 ; Ahluwalia, Namanjeet 5 ; Cowan, Alexandra E 1 ; Pannucci, TusaRebecca 6 ; Moshfegh, Alanna J 7 ; Goldman, Joseph D 7 ; Rhodes, Donna G 7 ; Stoody, Eve E 6 ; de Jesus, Janet 8 ; Casavale, Kellie O 9 

 Institute for Advancing Health through Agriculture, Texas A&M University , College Station, TX, USA 
 Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Pediatrics, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA 
 Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge, LA, USA 
 Epidemiology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center , Honolulu, HI, USA 
 Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, National Center for Health Statistics , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, MD, USA 
 Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Food and Nutrition Services, US Department of Agriculture , Alexandria, VA, USA 
 Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture , Beltsville, MD, USA 
 Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US Department of Health and Human Services , Rockville, MD, USA 
 Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling, Center for Food Safety and Applies Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services , College Park, MD, USA 
Publication year
2022
Publication date
Sep 2022
Publisher
Oxford University Press
e-ISSN
24752991
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3168742557
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition. This work is published under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.