“…However, it is widely known that individuals do not consume isolated foods/nutrients but meals that consist of a combination of foods and nutrients. Therefore, although several epidemiological studies have revealed increased consumption of energy, inadequate intake of certain nutrients (that is, fiber), excessive intake of other nutrients (that is, total fat, saturated fat, sugar) and low consumption of fruits and vegetables among children, it does not reflect the overall diet quality (Hampl et al, 1999;Ballew et al, 2000;Kranz et al, 2004Kranz et al, , 2005aManios et al, 2008). As a result, dietary pattern analysis has recently emerged as an alternative approach to evaluate diet quality.…”