Dietary Diversity in School Going Children: Review

Child malnutrition is a public health problem in developing countries, and dietary diversity is one of the

important determinants of undernutrition. Different nutrients are obtained from different food groups and to meet the

requirement of recommended Dietary Allowances entitled as Dietary Diversity. The current review revealed that the

nutrition status of children is directly related to the food groups consumed. Food diversity depends on many factors such

as Socio-economic Status, education level, sex, and age of the subjects. The food group consumed and food items

taken from each group were low in the low Socio-Economic Status (SES) subjects, rural areas, females, and less

educated families, resulting in malnutrition among children of various countries. Low level of Dietary Diversity can be the

reason for undernutrition in children worldwide, especially in developing countries. Many studies thus supported that

Dietary Diversity and Food Variety can provide nutritional adequacy.