ABSTRACT
AIMS: Numerous interventions have been designed to impact children's diet in the elementary school setting. One popular strategy is to label foods in the elementary cafeteria as more or less healthy. An example is the Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) labels of 'go', 'slow', or 'whoa' foods. In many respects, this has been successful, as food purveyors have responded by offering more healthy versions of popular foods (e.g. hamburgers with a high soy content) in an effort to avoid the less healthy, 'whoa' label. While this provides an obvious benefit to children's dietary choices and overall risk of obesity, it may have the unintended consequence of not setting up youth to make healthy choices in the environment outside of schools where these foods have not been altered. In response, the current study was designed to compare school labels and registered dietitian (RD) recommendations of common elementary lunch options. METHODS: In the spring of 2010, 28 RDs provided their recommendation of 'generally healthy, choose often'; 'generally less healthy, choose less often'; and 'generally unhealthy, choose rarely' for 48 common school lunch options. RDs were not told how schools categorised each selection. Kappa analyses were used to determine agreement between school labels and RD recommendations. RESULTS: Results indicate some disagreement between school labels and RD recommendations, with higher fat/calorie entrées showing greater discrepancies. CONCLUSIONS: Given these inconsistencies, nutrition education in schools should be designed to help children and their parents understand how foods offered in school may differ from those outside the school environment.
Subject(s)
Food Services/standards , Lunch , Schools , Child , Food Labeling , Humans , Lunch/classification , Nutrition PolicyABSTRACT
Objetivo: Realizar un estudio descriptivo del modelo de desayuno de una población universitaria y analizar su aporte energético y de nutrientes en relación con los requerimientos nutricionales establecidos. Material y métodos: Registro de consumo de alimentos durante la mañana (desayuno/almuerzo) de un día lectivo a una muestra de 740 universitarios (286 varones y 454 mujeres) con edades comprendidas entre 18 y 25 años. De cada encuestado se registraba sexo, edad, peso, talla e índice de masa corporal y tipo de residencia. Se han calculado las ingestas porcentuales de nutrientes en relación con las ingestas recomendadas (%IR). Resultados: El 98,6% desayunaba y el 54,2% almorzaba diariamente, y el 53.5% realizaba ambas ingestas. Lácteos (92,6%), cereales (58,8%) y dulces (57,9%) en el desayuno, y cereales (46,6%), frutas (40,7%) y embutidos (34,9%) en el almuerzo eran los alimentos más habituales. El %IR de la ingesta calórica (desayuno/almuerzo) era del 24,4% en varones y del 24,6% en mujeres (NS). El %IR de la ingesta de colesterol (desayuno:/almuerzo) era de 38,2% en varones y del 23,9% en mujeres (p < 0,05). En el desayuno los %IR de minerales y vitaminas eran significativamente superiores (p < 0,05) respecto a los del almuerzo. Conclusiones: Este modelo de desayuno/almuerzo difería del prototipo dietético saludable con un consumo excesivo de dulces, bollería y repostería (desayuno) y carnes y derivados (almuerzo). La mitad de los encuestados no almorzaban y su ingesta calórica matutina estaba por debajo de lo recomendado. Tratándose de estudiantes universitarios inquieta el efecto potencialmente negativo que pudiera tener sobre el rendimiento académico (AU)
GOAL: To carry out a descriptive study on the breakfast model in a college population and to analyze the energy and nutrients provided, in connection with established nutritional requirements. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Registry of food intake for breakfast (on rising and mid-morning snack) of a school day in a sample of 740 collegestudents (286 men and 454 women) with ages ranging 19-24 years. Gender, age, weight, height, and body mass index, and type of residence were collected from each interviewee. Percentages intakes of nutrients have been calculated in proportion to established dietary recommendations (%IR).RESULTS:93.2% had breakfast on rising and 83.8% took a mid-morning snack daily, and 53.5% do both intakes. The most common foods were dairy products (92.6%), cereals (58.8%) and sweet food (57.9%) at breakfast, and cereals (46.6%), fruits (40.7%) and sausages (34.9%) at mid-morning. The %IR of the calorie intake was 24.4% in males and 24.6% in females (n.s.). The %IR of the cholesterol intake was 38.2% in males and 23.9% in females (p < 0.05). The %IR for minerals and vitamins were greater (p < 0.05) in early breakfast. CONCLUSIONS:This breakfast model differs from the prototype of a healthy diet through an excessive consumption of sweet foods (early breakfast) and meat and derivatives (snack). Half of interviewee did not a mid-morning snack and the morning caloric intake was below recommended. In the case of university students concerned about the potentially negative effect it may have on academic performance (AU)
