Evaluation of food choices of teenagers in school lunch

Abstract

Introduction: Teenagers have nutritional imbalances due to several changes, such as increased body mass, growth and sexual maturation, which affect your eating behavior, which can lead to obesity and chronic diseases. Objetivo: To evaluate the characteristics of food intake conducted by adolescents during the break between classes in a public school in the city of Suzano, SP, Brazil. Methodology: The nutrition students made the remarks at school who noted that the snacks were taken home, bought in the cafeteria or if students opted for free school meals. It was observed if the students were performing the meal alone or in group. The variables were analyzed by their percentage distribution. The project was approved by the Ethics Committee of Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Results: The snacks of 30 adolescents students were observed and only 26.7% preferred to consume the free lunch prepared at school. Most of the students opted for the food offered in the cafeteria (n = 21). Furthermore, 76.6% were in company with another individual during the meal (n = 23), which may possibly have influenced their choices. Only one student chose to consume more food rich in fiber and lower energy density in snack (cereal bar). The preference of half of the students was a savory baked goods, purchased in the school canteen (n = 16). Conclusion: The foods eaten in the school lunch were high in fat, sugar and sodium. It was observed that school meals had observed wide range of products of high caloric density and low in nutrients.