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The Contribution of Children's Snacks to Total Dietary Intakes
Author(s) -
Cala Rosemary F.,
Morgan Karen J.,
Zabik Mary E.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
home economics research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 0046-7774
DOI - 10.1177/1077727x8101000205
Subject(s) - snacking , riboflavin , nutrient , calorie , micronutrient , food science , vitamin , reference daily intake , zoology , medicine , toxicology , biology , obesity , ecology , pathology , endocrinology
The role of snacking in children's diets was assessed using diaries of food intake for seven days. The sample consisted of 657 U.S. children ages 5 to 12 years, coming from middle‐ and upper‐middle‐income families. Of 12 groups of foods assessed, beverages other than milk were consumed most frequently, followed by fruits and vegetables and milk. The snacks contrib uted positively to the children's diets by providing greater than 20 percent of National Research Council ‐Recommended Dietary Allowances (NRC ‐RDA) for 8 of the 15 nutrients assessed for which there is an established NRC ‐RDA. The nutrients for which snacks made this significant contribution were protein, riboflavin, vitamins B 12 , C, and A, calcium, phos phorus, and magnesium. However, average nutrient intake without consumption of food between meals met 100 percent NRC ‐RDA for all nutrients except for calories, magnesium, and zinc. As the number of snacks consumed per day increased, the amount of all nutrients, except vitamins B 12 and A, increased in consumption. This increased snacking made needed contribution to the children's caloric, magnesium, and zinc intakes. However, on days when no snacks were consumed, a decreased intake of fat, sugars, and sodium was evidenced. On days when children did not consume snacks they did consume a greater quantity of calories during main meals; however, these meals were not necessarily more nutritious than those meals which were accompanied by snacks.