Abstract

LONGO-SILVA, Giovana et al. Evaluation of the menu, food consumption and food waste in outsourced public daycare centers in Brazil. Nutrícias [online]. 2012, n.14, pp.10-15. ISSN 2182-7230.

Introduction: Ensuring adequate nutrition in its quantitative and qualitative aspect is very important for promoting growth and development of children at daycare centers. Objectives: Qualitative evaluation of the menu, in nutritional and sensorial terms, the adequacy of food intake and the food waste offered to children regularly attending public day care centers, which are managed by the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Methodology: This study is transversal and data was collected at nurseries from 4 day care centers, which attend 200 children aged from 12 to 36 months. Each day care center was evaluated during 3 days, coming up to 24 days and 120 meals. Menu quality was evaluated according to the qualitative analysis of menu preparation while food intake by the direct food weighting. Nutritional adequacy was analyzed in terms carbon, protein, fat, fiber, vitamin A and C, calcium, iron and sodium. Food waste was evaluated according to the Waste-ingestion index. Results: Vegetables offers were insufficient in more than 90% of the days and, the quantity of vegetables rich in sulfur component was compatible with the recommended level in 62% and 54¨% of the analyzed days. The offer of sweets and foods containing trans fatty acids was high. The consumption of energy, macronutrients, fiber, Vitamin A, calcium and iron was bellow recommendations and the Vitamin C and sodium's were two or three times higher. The Waste-ingestion index varied from 27 to 42% between day care centers and from 10 to 49% between food groups. Conclusions: It's clear the need of revising meals preparation, aiming to improve children's acceptance and menu's planning referring to the nutritional support and recommended per capita portion.

Keywords : Food waste; Child day care centers; School meals; Food quality.

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