OBJECTIVES: to conduct a review of dietary guides for children and adolescents. METHODS: a systematic review of the Medline and Lilacs databases and institutional sites, covering documents published between 2000 and 2010. RESULTS: seventeen dietary guides published were identified worldwide, including ten in Latin America, three in North America, two in Europe and two in Asia/Oceania. The guides differ in terms of structure. Some contain nutritional guidelines, others graphics and some both. The content of the nutritional guidelines, as well as the number of food groups and graphics used in the manual also varied according to the dietary culture of the population. Sixteen guides focus on food rather than nutrients. The Japanese guide, for example, contains recommendations on how to consume and prepare dishes and is easier to understand. All the dietary guides identified for children aged under two years (n=5) were from Latin America, and three were found whose guidelines were aimed at health professionals, suggesting a need for training and retraining of these. CONCLUSION: the study demonstrates the importance of dietary guides when dealing with children and adolescents, providing a theoretical basis for health professionals and institutions.
Adolescent; Child; Food guide; Health promotion
