WHO guiding principles for feeding the breastfed child and non-breastfed child recommend that children aged 6–23 months be fed a variety of foods to ensure that nutrient needs are met. Food group diversity is associated with improved linear growth in young children. A diet lacking in diversity can increase the risk of micronutrient deficiencies, which may have a damaging effect on children’s physical and cognitive development. One study found that little or no consumption of nutrient-dense foods such as eggs, dairy products, fruits and vegetables between six months and 23 months of age was associated with stunting.

Percentage of children 6–23 months of age who consumed foods and beverages from at least five out of eight defined food groups during the previous day.

Sex of child, place of residence, household wealth

Numerator: children 6–23 months of age who consumed foods and beverages from at least five out of eight defined food groups during the previous day. The eight food groups used for tabulation of this indicator are: 1. breast milk; 2. grains, roots, tubers and plantains; 3. pulses (beans, peas, lentils), nuts and seeds; 4. dairy products (milk, infant formula, yogurt, cheese); 5. flesh foods (meat, fish, poultry, organ meats); 6. eggs; 7. vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables; and 8. other fruits and vegetables. Denominator: children 6–23 months of age. For more information, please consult Indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices: definitions and measurement methods. Geneva: World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240018389

Population-weighted average

Consumption of any amount of food or beverage from a food group is sufficient to “count”, i.e. there is no minimum quantity. • The previous indicator was based on a cut-off of four out of seven food groups. The indicator was revised in 2017 to add breast milk as a separate food group, thereby increasing the total number of food groups to eight and increasing the cut-off to five groups. The indicator was revised because the previous indicator included infant formula but not breast milk, thereby conferring an advantage to formula-fed infants when counting food groups.

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