Change in Dietary Intake and Nutritional Status Using Mealworms as Hospital Meal in Postoperative Patients

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to verify the validity of Mealworms as a hospital meal with increased nutrition density. We provided a meal for postoperative patients and conducted analysis of dietary intake and nutritional status of patients and assessment of acceptability of the meal. This study was carried out as a randomized control trial. Patients were supplied either a hospital meal using Mealworms (Experimental group) or a regular hospital meal (Control group). We investigated the administration amounts of parenteral nutrition (PN) and food intake of patients after surgery and measured anthropometry, body composition, and blood tests before surgery and at hospital discharge. We included 34 postoperative patients who were admitted to Gangnam Severance Hospital from March to September. In the groups of patients not supplied with PN, the experimental group (964.68±284.6 kcal, 38.82±12.9 g) had significantly higher dietary calorie and protein intake than the control group (666.62±153.7 kcal, 24.47±4.9 g)(P<0.05). Additionally in the group of patients not supplied with PN, the experimental group (1.37%) showed a significantly higher increase in fat free mass index than the control group (−3.46%)(P<0.05). In all subjects, calorie density and protein density were significantly higher in the experimental group (P<0.001), and acceptability of calorie (P=0.036) and protein (P=0.001) was also significantly higher in the experimental group. Therefore, the results of this study support the validity of the introduction of hospital meals using Mealworms.