To assess the food habits, nutrient intake and diet quality of preschool children aged 1 to 6 in Pusan by their meals and snacks, dietary survey was conducted with 176 subjects by a questionnaire and 24hr recall method. 63.1% of the subjects often skipped meals and 72.1% of those skipped breakfast in the main. 94.5% had snacks over once per day. The mean energy intake was 1406.4kcal, with 57.7% of energy intake being supplied by carbohydrate, 13.7% by protein, 28.6% by fat. 54.9%, 71.7% and 26.5% of intakes of protein, calcium and iron were supplied respectively by animal food. Most of iron intake came from plant origin. The percent of calcium intake from animal origin was low significantly in a group aged 4 to 6(p<0.05). The mean intakes of calcium, iron and niacin of total subjects were below Recommended Dietary Allo wance(RDA) for Koreans. The mean intakes of iron and niacin of a group aged 1 to 3 were below RDA as well as those of energy, caicium, vitamin B2 and niacin of the group aged 4 to 6. For calcium, iron, vitamin A, niacin and vitamin C, proportions of subjects with intake levels less than 75% of RDA were all over 36%. For most nutrients, proportions of subjects with intake levels less than 75% of RDA were higher in the group aged 4 to 6 than in the group aged 1 to 3. Nutrient adequacy ratios(NAR) were the lowest in iron in case of the group aged 1 to 3 and in calcium in case of the group aged 4 to 6. NAR of iron increased and that of vitamin B2 decreased significantly along increase age(p<0.05). The mean adequacy ratios(MAR) were 0.82 for total subjects, 0.83 for the group aged 1 to 3 and 0.80 for the group aged 4 to 6. The indexes of nutritional quality(INQ) of calcium, iron and niacin of the group aged 1 to 3 were below 1 as well as those of calcium, vitamin B2 and niacin of the group aged 4 to 6. Both of the age groups received 31.6~59.0% of daily intakes of energy, fat, calcium, phosphrous, vitamin B2 and vitamin C from snacks. So snacks clearly play an important role in dietary intake. Both of the NARs of most nutrients and MAR were higher in snacks than in three meals. The INQs of calcium and iron from three meals and those of iron, vitamin A, vitamin B1 and niacin from snacks of the group aged 1 to 3 were all below 1. The INQs of calcium and vitamin B2 from three meals and those of vitamin A and niacin from snacks of the group aged 4 to 6 were all below 1. In conclusion, nutritional characteristics were different between the two age groups. More attention should be paid to improve adequacy of nutrient intake through meals. And dietary management for snacks is needed especially in the group aged 1 to 3.