Is consuming legumes linked to better nutrition intake in toddlers?

A recent study published in the journal Nutrients discussed improvements in diet quality associated with legume consumption in young children.

Early childhood nutrition impacts an individual's development and both acute and long-term disease risk. Legumes are widely known to be excellent sources of protein, carbohydrates, micronutrients, and phytochemicals. Few studies have assessed the benefits of legumes in early childhood diets. Current recommendations advise that toddlers and children consume 1.5 cups of cooked legumes each week

For the study, researchers analyzed legume intake and overall dietary intake from birth to 24 months using data from the Women, Infants, and Children Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (WIC ITFPS-2). They gathered data from approximately 3,000 mother-child pairs. The study aimed to quantify the consumption of dried beans, lima beans, chili, and yellow beans in grams and as a percentage of total dietary energy intake. Micronutrient intake was assessed at 11 and 24 months.

The results showed that at all time points, the consumption of yellow and lima beans was very low, with the highest rate of consumption reaching 0.1% at 18 months of age. Likewise, the percentage of infants who consumed dried beans was very low, with 1.2% and 10.5% consuming dried beans by seven and 18 months of age, respectively. The consumption of chili beans was also low at 0.4% by seven months of age and peaking at 5.9% of age at 24 months.

The findings suggested that although bean consumption was low among very young children and limited to chilli and dried beans, it was associated with a better nutritional profile for both macro- and micronutrients at 11 and 24 months of age.

Reference:Choudhary, D., Rideout, T., Millen, A. E., & Wen, X. (2024). Bean consumption during childhood is associated with improved nutritional outcomes in the first two years of life. Nutrients 16(8); 1120. doi:10.3390/nu16081120.