Feeding Infants and Toddler Study (FITS)
The FITS (Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study) and KNHS (Kids Nutrition and Health Study) are Nestlé Research initiatives to explore eating patterns, nutrient intakes and food sources of nutrients among infants and children in different countries around the world. FITS and KNHS use data from national surveys when available, but when data are not available for age groups of interest, we collect our own large-scale cross-sectional surveys.
![FITS_and_KNHS_128x128 FITS_and_KNHS_128x128](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/fits_and_knhs_128x128.png.webp?itok=bYhzcweR)
FITS and KNHS use 24-h recalls to assess individual-level dietary intakes for children birth to 12 years old
![FITS_128x128 FITS_128x128](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/fits_128x128.png.webp?itok=K-bI_Kj3)
FITS was first initiated in 2002 and has since grown to include 9 countries, and over 20,000 infants and toddlers
![Research_Collab_128x128 Research_Collab_128x128](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/research_collab_128x128.png.webp?itok=h1CTM7mJ)
Nestlé Research-sponsored studies have been conducted in Brazil, China, Nigeria, United Arab Emirates and the United States
![Research_Sponsored_128x128 Research_Sponsored_128x128](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/research_sponsored_128x128.png.webp?itok=H6c8ZJmX)
Research collaborations allowed access to national surveys from Australia, China, Mexico, the Philippines and Russia
![Dietary_Trends_128x128 Dietary_Trends_128x128](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/dietary_trends_128x128.png.webp?itok=5laE5VfE)
Trends in dietary intake patterns have been evaluated in Australia, China and the US
![Scientific_Articles_128x128 Scientific_Articles_128x128](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/scientific_articles_128x128.png.webp?itok=SIOaio-M)
Since the initial FITS in 2002, about 90 articles and nearly 100 collaborators have been published from the FITS and KNHS
Read articles about FITS/KIDS
![Iron-Fortified Foods Are Needed To Meet the Estimated Average Requirement for Iron in Australian Infants Aged 6 to 12 Months Iron-Fortified Foods Are Needed To Meet the Estimated Average Requirement for Iron in Australian Infants Aged 6 to 12 Months](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/Iron-Fortified%20Foods%20Thumbnail.png.webp?itok=t02iAfan)
Iron-Fortified Foods Are Needed To Meet the Estimated Average Requirement for Iron in Australian Infants Aged 6 to 12 Months
![image-37 image-37](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-37.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=MR4GYuGy)
Beverage consumption patterns among infants and young children
![image-40f9f256dd43e563eca373ff07002886dc image-40f9f256dd43e563eca373ff07002886dc](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-40f9f256dd43e563eca373ff07002886dc.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=Ek_PjsHA)
Perceptions of food intake and weight status among parents of picky eating infants and toddlers in China: A cross-sectional study.
![image-44 image-44](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-44.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=yFOjhleY)
Nutrient intakes of infants and toddlers from maternal and child care centres in urban areas of China, based on one 24-hour dietary recall.
![image-38 image-38](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-38.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=rmruLffI)
Food Consumption patterns of infants and toddlers: FITS Study 2016
![image-41 image-41](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-41.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=75llK6qa)
Total usual nutrient intakes of US children (under 48 mo): findings from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2016.
![image-45 image-45](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-45.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=O8anfkl7)
Differences in complementary feeding of 6 to 23 month olds in China, US and Mexico.
![image-33 image-33](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-33.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=a1W2pXia)
Usual nutrient intakes from the diets of US children by WIC participation and income
![image-43 image-43](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-43.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=Aaa0k76O)
Room for improvement remains in food consumption patterns of young children aged 2–4 years.
![thinkstockphotos-273x183 thinkstockphotos-273x183](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/thinkstockphotos-273x183.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=MxoNfqFx)
Food sources of energy and nutrients in the diets of infants and toddlers in urban areas of China, based on one 24-hour dietary recall.
![image-39 image-39](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-39.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=FYd9sjKo)
Food sources of energy and nutrients in infants, toddlers and young children from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012.
![image-42 image-42](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-42.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=e2Son6LO)
Many infants and young children are not compliant with Mexican and international complementary feeding recommendations for milk and other beverages
![image-46 image-46](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-46.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=P5HXB1ds)
Food groups consumed by infants and young children from urban areas of China.
Key Findings & Cross-Country Comparisons from FITS
![shutterstock_175696946 shutterstock_175696946](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/shutterstock_175696946.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=HaJaHnlR)
The FITS studies explore eating patterns, nutrient intakes and food sources of nutrients among infants and children in different countries around the world. Key highlights of FITS include low breastfeeding rates in many countries, early introduction of co
![shutterstock_190723979.tmb-xs shutterstock_190723979.tmb-xs](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/shutterstock_190723979.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=-nEGBn5x)
In the China Feeding Infant and Toddlers Study (FITS), it was identified that few Chinese children consume sugar-sweetened beverages, but more than 60% of children under 2-years of age exceeded the upper intake level for sodium.
![shutterstock_437902681 shutterstock_437902681](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/shutterstock_437902681.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=atjm4RB3)
The Feeding Infant and Toddlers Study (FITS) in Mexico identified low consumption of iron-containing foods and high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. 2,057 children from birth to 47 months of age were evaluated using data from the Mexican National
![shutterstock_582622219 shutterstock_582622219](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/shutterstock_582622219.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=luahzAoN)
A significant number of young children do not consume vegetables on a given day in Russia. For the ones that do eat vegetables, more than half comes from potatoes, according to Feeding Infant and Toddlers Study (FITS) performed in this country
![feed-the-need feed-the-need](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/feed-the-need.jpg.webp?itok=DUylyTFg)
The Feeding Infant and Toddlers Study (FITS) in US has shown that about half of US children between 4 and 6 months consume juice, much more than infants and toddlers in other countries. Inadequate intakes of iron is a significant problem affecting almost
Related NNI resources on FITS/KIDS
![villalpando_card villalpando_card](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/villalpando_card.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=Fmi36gHe)
Interview with Salvador Villalpando: Mexico Case Study
![image-58 image-58](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-58.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=zF0zWXqK)
FITS/KNHS Overview - Alison Eldridge
![image-11_card image-11_card](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-11_card.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=DSyjr0bj)
Interview with Imelda Agdeppa: Philippines Case Study
![image-59 image-59](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-59.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=fmkea5Uc)
China Case Study - Dantong Wang
![image-57 image-57](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-57.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=4PCFJmU6)
Annales 71.2 Articles: Lessons from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study in North America
![bailey_card bailey_card](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/bailey_card.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=kwlb4RaI)
NNIW91: Interview with Regan Bailey: USA Case Study
![image-50 image-50](/sites/default/files/styles/card_m_mobile/public/images/teaser-images/image-50.tmb-xs.jpg.webp?itok=X_gBZd5H)
News: Importance of Dietary Sources of Iron in Infants and Toddlers