Objective   To analyze and evaluate the status of main food intakes among 6 – 17 years old children in China from 2016 to 2017, and to provide evidence for guiding the children's food intake.

  Methods   The data of the study were extracted from the National Nutrition and Health Survey among children and lactating mothers conducted during 2016 – 2017 at 275 surveillance sites selected with stratified multistage random sampling in 31 provincial-level administrative divisions across China. The information on food intake of 16 042 children aged 6 – 17 years were collected using three consecutive 24-hour recalls. Based on the classification of the China Food Composition Table, the food were divided into grains and cereals, tubers, whole grains and miscellaneous beans, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, meat and poultry, fish and shrimp, eggs, milk, nuts and beans, and the children's intake of each food were calculated. The percentage of the average daily intake of main foods (< 60%, 60% – 79%, 80% – 99%, and > 100%) relative to the recommended amount among the children were analyzed according to the food guide pagoda for Chinese school-age children.

  Results   The estimated average daily intakes (grams) of the children were 236.20 ± 118.45 for grains and cereals, 33.32 ± 51.86 for tubers, 12.12 ± 24.67 for whole grains and miscellaneous beans, 164.03 ± 127.08 for fresh vegetables, 47.85 ± 75.76 for fresh fruits, 2.16 ± 8.68 for nuts, 103.39 ± 78.99 for meat and poultry, 15.45 ± 32.45 for fish and shrimp, 33.25 ± 32.51 for eggs, 72.83 ± 113.66 for milk and milk products, and 9.29 ± 18.41 for beans, respectively. In comparison to recommendations of the food guide pagoda, the children's average daily intakes of grains and cereals were 58.43% higher and those of meat and poultry were 76.06% higher; while, the average daily intakes were 80.55% lower for whole grains and miscellaneous beans, 76.21% for fresh vegetables, 85.21% for fresh fruits, 88.99% for nuts, 79.67% for fish and shrimp, 86.93% for milk and milk products, and 70.81% for beans. There were significant age differences in daily intakes of main foods (P < 0.05 for all), except for nuts; there were also significant gender differences in daily intake of grains and cereals, whole grains and miscellaneous beans, fresh fruits, meat and poultry, eggs, and nuts (all P < 0.05) and regional differences between urban and rural areas and among eastern, central and western regions in daily intakes of main foods (both P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  The average daily intakes of grains and cereals, meat and poultry were adequate, even too much in most children of 6 – 17 years old in China, but those of whole grains and miscellaneous beans, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, meat and poultry, fish and shrimp, eggs, milk, nuts and beans were insufficient. There were significant differences in the children′s daily intakes of main foods between urban and rural areas and among eastern, central and western regions.