1. Introduction
cancer, diabetes
CANCER, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, DIABETES
Surveys have indicated that preschool children do not consume adequate amounts of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts. This cross-sectional intervention study aimed to investigate whether a meticulously crafted meal plan for children of kindergarten age (5–6 years) could effectively enhance their daily intake of nutritious foods. Ninety-four healthy children from six kindergartens were enrolled in the study and were randomly assigned to a prototype group (PG) and a control group (CG). The PG kindergartens (The preschool years are a time of intense growth and development and a critical period in the establishment of lifelong eating habits [The interrelationship between nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns has important implications, particularly for preventing and developing NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes [Over the past decade, numerous European countries have undertaken various measures to enhance the nutritional environment within educational institutions [In Slovenia, nutrition in kindergartens has been well established since 2005 when the Guidelines for healthy eating in educational institutions were accepted (hereafter “Guidelines”) [Despite the large proportion of meals consumed by children in kindergarten, a separate Slovenian survey revealed that only 30% of young children eat vegetables daily, while 60% consume fruits. Additionally, 59% of Slovenian toddlers do not eat nuts [Given the beneficial effects of consuming vegetables, whole grains, and nuts on health [Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate whether a carefully designed kindergarten meal plan can effectively improve the daily intake of healthy foods, especially vegetables, whole grains, and nuts, among children aged 5 to 6 years. This study had three endpoints: Firstly, to estimate the average food intake from seven food groups (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, refined grains and potatoes, nuts, meat and substitutes, and milk and milk products) in the group following a comparison prototype meal plan (prototype group: PG) with the usual meal plan (control group: CG). Secondly, to compare the contribution of the intervention eating plan (PG) to the daily intake of the seven food groups with that of the regular eating plan (CG). Finally, to compare the dietary intake between the participants of the two study groups with the RDFI.