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THE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY MEDICINE - Volume 5 Issue 1, January 2018

Pages: 16-21
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Evolution of kindergartens` food plan, with and without dietetic intervention

Author: Hadmas Roxana Maria, Neghirla Adriana, Martin Stefan Adrian

Category: Medical

Abstract:

Accelerated weight gain and the high percentage of children with obesity raise the suspicion of excessive food consumption.

THE AIM of the paper is to evaluate the evolution of the food plan in kindergartens with extended schedule for a period of 2 years, following specialized nutritional intervention.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted over the period 2015-2017. The study included 2 kindergartens, one with a controlled menu.

RESULTS: At the beginning of the study, in 2015, the food plan was similar. After the intervention, for dairy products, a gradual evolution from 33.10% to 73.10% was observed. Evolution was statistically significant (p<0.0001). The amount of vegetable fats decreased from 13.63 grams/day to 9.84 grams/day, reaching 109.37% of the official recommendations in 2016. A significant change was also observed in the case of fruit consumption (p<0.0001) and sugary products (p=0.0002). At the end of the study, significant differences were observed between the two institutions regarding dairy products, eggs, cereals and fruits.

CONCLUSIONS: Dietetic intervention in menu planning is essential. The inclusion of a dietitian in the menu planning team can lead to a visible improvement in the quality of the menu.

Keywords: kindergarten, food balance, menu, nutritional intervention, preschoolers

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