Energy Intake, Macronutrient Profile and Food Sources of Spanish Children Aged One to <10 Years—Results from the EsNuPI Study †

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess energy intake, nutrient profile and food sources in Spanish children participating in the EsNuPI (“Estudio Nutricional en Población Infantil Española”) study. Plausibility of energy intake and adequacy of nutrient intakes to international recommendations were analyzed in a final sample of 1448 subjects (728 boys and 720 girls) and one group representative of the 1 to &lt;10 years old urban Spanish children (reference sample (n = 707)) who consumed milk and one of the same age who consumed adapted milk over the last year (adapted milk consumers sample (n = 741)) were compared. Both groups completed data of a face-to-face and a telephone 24-h dietary recalls. Both the reference and the adapted milk consumers samples reported an adequate daily energy intake (1503 kcal/day and 1404 kcal/day); and a high contribution to total energy from protein (16.5% and 15.6%) and fat (36.5% and 35.9%). Also, a high percentage of children from both samples were below the lower limit of the recommendations for carbohydrates (47.8% and 39.3%). As the percentage of plausible energy reporters was high for both groups (84.7% and 83.5%, respectively), data for the whole sample were analyzed. Milk and dairy, cereals, meat and derived products, fats and oils, bakery and pastry, fruits and vegetables contributed to about 80% of the total energy intake in both groups. However, the reference sample reported significantly more contribution to energy from cereals, meat and meat products, bakery and pastry and ready to cook/eat foods; meanwhile, the adapted milk consumers sample reported significantly more energy from milk and dairy products, fruits and eggs. Those results suggest that adapted milk consumers have better adherence to the food-based dietary guidelines. Further analyses are warranted to characterize food patterns and the quality of the diet in the EsNuPI study population.

Play with Your Food and Cook It! Tactile Play with Fish as a Way of Promoting Acceptance of Fish in 11- to 13-Year-Old Children in a School Setting—A Qualitative Study

“…According to a national study, Danish children aged 10 to 17 years eat only 105 g of fish per week [ 18 ], one-third of the Nordic recommendations of 350 g per week [ 19 ]. The intake of fish among Danish early adolescent phase children corresponds with international observations [ 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Furthermore, to the authors’ knowledge, little research has been conducted in the area of early adolescent phase children’s acceptance of fish.…”

Usual Dietary Intake, Nutritional Adequacy and Food Sources of Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Vitamin D of Spanish Children Aged One to <10 Years. Findings from the EsNuPI Study

“…Two sub-samples were selected, one including children taking standard milk (a representative sample of Spanish children; RS) and one of convenience, which included children taking adapted, enriched, or fortified milks, which we called the "adapted milk consumers sample" (AMS). In addition, considering the need for representation of all age and sex groups, the sample was stratified (50% boys, 50% girls, 1 to <3 years old, 3 to <6 years old, and 6 to <10 years old) [26,27].…”

“…The activities carried out by the child in one day (24 h) during the last week (a seven-day record) were recorded, including information on sleep hours and screen time; data for weekdays and weekend days were recorded separately. For more detailed information, see Madrigal et al [26,27].…”

Carbohydrates, Starch, Total Sugar, Fiber Intakes and Food Sources in Spanish Children Aged One to <10 Years—Results from the EsNuPI Study

“…The potential recall bias introduced by parents in reporting their children’s diets is associated with a tendency to overestimate foods accepted as healthy and underestimate the least healthy options. The assessment of misreporting performed by Madrigal et al [ 19 ] showed that the exclusion of under or over reporters has no significant influence in children’s TEI, therefore they were included in the present study.…”

“…Activities carried out by the child in one day (24 h) over the last week (a seven-day record) were documented, including information on hours of sleep and screen time; data for weekdays and weekend days were recorded separately. For more detailed information, see Madrigal et al [ 15 , 19 ].…”