Cardiovascular risk factors were investigated in 356 children 5 to 9 years of age who were treated at a primary care center located in a low-income area in Greater Metropolitan Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lipid profile, nutritional status, food intake, and lifestyle were evaluated. 10.7% of the children were overweight, 68.4% had some type of dyslipidemia, and 18.6% showed high LDL-c. To describe the food intake pattern, the answers to the qualitative food questionnaire were submitted to multivariate cluster analysis, producing six basic groups: traditional Brazilian cooking; "modern" food (including diet and light products); fried food; sweets and soft drinks (mixed with other groups); and other poorly defined groups. The high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (beginning in childhood) and the evidence of inadequate dietary habits indicate that a preventive family-focused strategy is needed to change the dietary pattern of low-income groups towards healthier eating.