Parental attitudes about childrearing, parental nutrition knowledge, and the food consumption of one randomly selected six-to eight-year-old child per family were investigated in a group of 66 nuclear families and 17 single-parent families. Each family recorded three consecutive, non-weekend days of their child's food and beverage intake, and completed a demographic questionnaire, true/false nutrition knowledge test and the Parent Attitude Research Instrument (PARI). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for food consumption based on assessment using a modified version of the Basic Four food groups; however, children in single-parent families consumed school breakfast more frequently than did children in nuclear families (p < 0.01). Approximately 50% or more of the children in single-parent families and the children in nuclear families consumed less than the recommended number of servings of the Basic Four food groups, with the exception of above recommended intake levels of the breads and cereals group in both family types. Parental attitudes were different in single-parent and nuclear families when measuring the factor of irritability versus warmth for parents from both family structures (p <0.01) and for mothers alone in both family types (p <0.02). Single-parent mothers were less warm than mothers or both parents in nuclear families. However, parental attitudes were not significantly correlated with Basic Four food group intake in either family type. Nutrition knowledge was not statistically different in single-parent and nuclear families, with a mean score of 18 out of 23 correct in both family types. In single-parent families, nutrition knowledge was positively correlated with breads/cereal intake (r=0.64, p <0.006) and in nuclear families, nutrition knowledge was negatively correlated with meat/meat substitute intake (r=-0.36, p <0.0001). Income and educational level were not correlated with food consumption in nuclear families, when food intake was assessed using a modified version of the Basic Four food groups. In single-parent families, educational level was positively correlated with the mean number of meals consumed over a three day period (r=0.54, p <0.02) and negatively correlated with meat and meat substitute consumption (r=-0.50,p <0.04).