Food for Thought: The Impact of a Nutritional Toolkit on Well-being in Children

Purpose: This study investigated whether attendance by a cohort of pediatric patients at an educational/interventional nutritional program could impact dietary habits, physical health and mental well-being. Methods: A 16-week program was offered to 235 children with food insecurity which focused on fresh produce and nutritional education, recipes, as well as physical and mental wellness. Underlying diagnoses were obesity in 41.7 % (n = 98), cancer in 22.1 % (n = 52), mental health issues in 5.5 % (n = 12) or other in 30.7 % (n = 72). Health assessment surveys included changes in food choices, physical activity, mental wellness, memory, sleep, creativity, and BMI at enrollment, end of study, and at three-month follow-up. Results were compared by two-way student-t test and Pearson chi-square analysis. Results: The median age was 9.9 years (range 1–21 years). Significant improvements were found at the end of study in vegetable consumption (p = 0.002), physical activity (p = 0.001), mental wellness (p = 0.015), focus (p = 0.052), memory (p = 0.004), sleep (p = 0.003), creativity (p = 0.004) and BMI for obese patients (p = 0.025). Food choice improvements were seen in carbohydrates which decreased from 53.0 to 38.7 % (p = 0.013) and vegetable consumption which increased from 32.5 to 39.5 % (p = 0.014). Protein intake did not change significantly. At three-month follow-up there was no decline in interest, produce intake, physical activity, mental wellness, focus, sleep or creativity. Conclusions: A diet intervention program where children and their parents are educated on healthy food choices had a significant influence on children's diet and well-being. For pediatric surgery patients with obesity and cancer, these changes could have a significant impact on long term outcomes and warrant further study. Level of Evidence: III.