According to data from the study by ESTeSC, a school at the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra (IPC) “80% of the snacks served to pre-school and 1st cycle students have an energy value higher than recommended”, with morning snacks having a calorie value “almost twice as high as recommended, as well as inappropriate amounts of protein and fat”.
Carried out as part of the postgraduate course in Nutrition, Collective Food and Restoration at ESTeSC-IPC, the study took place over four months and noted that, according to recommendations, the morning snack of a child aged between 03 and 06 years old should not exceed 140 kilocalories (kcal).
In the case of children between 7 and 10 years old, a maximum consumption of 164 kcal is recommended.
“Now, the morning snacks served in that municipality had, on average, 266.5 kcal, with some days exceeding 300 kcal.”
The average amount of fat and carbohydrates served was higher than recommended: 9.5 grams of fat, on average, instead of 4.5 grams (3-6 years) or 5.5 grams ( 7-10 years).
Carbohydrates, including sugars, almost doubled the recommended values for younger children (85% more) and represented 58% more for older children, a problem, claimed the authors of the study, which was verified in the morning and repeated in the afternoon.
“The consumption of high-energy, high-fat and high-glucose intermediate meals contributes, in the long term, to the emergence of obesity and associated chronic diseases. At the same time, it could compromise the complete intake of the subsequent meal (namely lunch) with an impact on food waste and compromising daily energy and nutritional intake”, warned João Lima, professor at ESTeSC-IPC and one of the authors of the work.
According to the expert, cited in the note sent to Lusa, typically, mid-morning meals in the municipality under analysis consisted of milk, accompanied by bread with butter/cheese or biscuits, while afternoon snacks had a more varied composition, It may contain fruits/vegetables or a “madeleine” type cupcake.