RESUMEN
This study compared eating habits, food preferences, and the nutrient intakes of university students and their parents. The subjects were 186 students (68 males and 118 females) and 143 parents (62 fathers and 81 mothers) in 2 middle-sized cities and 3 metropolises. Eating habits and food preferences were investigated by questionnaire, and nutrient intake by a self recoding for 24-hour. The university students ate out, and ate breads, fast foods, instant foods, and canned or frozen products more frequently than their parents. They had higher preferences for meats, but lower preferences for fish, beans and bean products, vegetables, and sea weeds than their parents. Students took in more energy, total fat, total cholesterol, and SFA (saturated fatty acids) than their parents. The energy ratio of carbohydrate to the total energy intake was lower in the students than in their parents, while the energy ratio of fat to the total energy intake was higher in the students than in their parents. The intake of fats by the students amounted to more than 25% of the total energy intake. In conclusion, the university students had developed a more Western eating pattern and food preference, and were exposed to more risk factors to health than their parents. They should therefore, learn how to manage their meals more carefully in order to reduce risk factors to health.