BEIJING -- A nutrition and health guide for Chinese children and adolescents released Saturday calls for improvement in children's diets and efforts to strengthen childhood nutrition education.

The guide, published by the Chinese Association for Student Nutrition and Health Promotion, underlined the need to address undesirable eating patterns among children despite major progress in childhood nutrition and fitness in the country.

The undesirable eating patterns mainly include low intake of vegetables, fruits, aquatic products, eggs, beans and milk, which is more prevalent in rural and less developed areas, it says.

It also notes unhealthy dietary behaviors such as skipping breakfast and increase in snack and beverage consumption, as well as the rising problems of child obesity and chronic diseases.

The guide urges efforts to promote the sustained development of childhood nutrition education through various means including policy improvement, supportive environment and talent cultivation.