The snacking habits of adolescents: Is snack food necessary to meet dietary recommendations?

Abstract

Objective To investigate the role of snack foods in the diets of adolescents in relation to recommendations. Design A quantitative study whereby the food intakes of 28 adolescents aged 11-14 years were recorded for three consecutive days. Setting A secondary school in South West London. Methods Food intake was recorded using food diaries and the computer package CompEat-5.ANOVA and T-tests were used to identify significant differences. Results Snack foods made significant ( p<0.001) contributions to all nutrients. However increased saturated fat intakes were beyond acceptable levels. Boys had higher intakes of all nutrients, with the exception of calcium, and significantly ( p<0.01) greater intakes of iron and zinc. Conclusion Without compromising the benefits of snack foods, health promotion strategies need to be designed to reduce adolescent intakes of fat and sugar.