Peculiarities of nutrition in preschool children

The aim of the current research: investigate preschool children‘s peculiarities of nutrition, parents point of view. Research Methodology: Preschool (1,5 m. – 7 years) children‘s dietary habits were analyzed questionnaire survey by interviewing children parents. They was asking aboud food consumption rate, feeding regime, healthy nutrition principles when children are not going to an educational institution, parents cooking properties. Selected survey sample represents Kaunas city preschool children attending preschool institutions. Total analyzed 351 children‘s nutrition features. Statistical analysis was performed using the software statistics package SPSS, version 20.0 for Windows and Microsoft Excel 2016. The statistical significance of differences in results determined in accordance with χ² (chi-square) test. The difference is considered significant when p ≤ 0.05. The main Results: Not all preschool children's eating habits was in line with the healthy eating recommendations. Children whose parents have a higher education, who living with both parents, whose families income is sufficient to meet the nutritional needs and whose families follow the principles of healthy eating had health-friendly products on their diet more often. Conclusions: Preschool children consumed too little fresh fruit and vegetables, grain-derived products. Ate sweets, sausages, smoked meat products too often. Most children have used a variety of food, not to abuse fast food, always had breakfast, but was not always on feeding mode. Sociodemographic factors had an impact on children's eating habits, as well as their parents' knowledge about nutrition were significantly associated with children's eating habits. Not all the parents knew and followed the principles of healthy eating and food choices pyramid, 41.9 percent parents serve fried food to their children