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Developed countries have devised guidelines for various eating habits, many of which simply recommend “eating various foods” without specifying how much food the individual should consume each day. The authors aimed to examine the relationship between the variety of food consumed and the probability of nutritional adequacy in middle‐aged Japanese.

In total, 215 subjects (102 men and 113 women) provided complete dietary records for seven days in each of the winter, spring, summer and autumn. Subjects were categorized into groups of five according to the amount of each food eaten per day, calculated energy, and nutrients in the food. Results were compared with respective indicators of nutrition defined by the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2010).

The percentage of overweight subjects was higher in the group that did not consume a wide variety of foods. Intake of energy, calcium, zinc, magnesium, vitamins B1, B2 and C were insufficient in the subjects who did not consume a wide variety of foods. Although a trend toward sufficient nutrient intake was observed in the group that consumed a variety of foods, the estimated average requirement for several nutrients such as calcium and zinc was below accepted standards for good nutrition.

The variety of foods eaten is related to the adequacy of intake levels of certain nutrients and to body mass index in middle‐aged Japanese subjects. Eating a wide variety of foods is important to ensuring adequate nutrient intake.

Food fortification with common kitchen ingredients has been suggested to improve nutritional intake. The purpose of this paper was to systematically review the efficacy of food fortification on calorie and protein intake among older adults.

A systematic search was conducted using Boolean search logic and seven research databases to identify interventions using fortified foods to increase calorie and protein intake among older adults. Ten studies published in English since 1996 were eligible for inclusion. Study quality was evaluated using an adapted Modified Jadad Questionnaire.

Food fortification was associated with increased calorie intake in eight studies, increased protein intake in five studies, and increased body weight in three studies. However, studies were limited by lack of rigor in methodology and small sample sizes.

Food fortification may improve calorie and protein intake, but results are limited by study weaknesses. Additionally, it is unclear whether improved intake results in improved clinical outcomes.

This paper aims to examine the effects of professional job experience on the lifestyle and dietary habits of participants who have studied food science and nutrition and acquired a dietitian license. The dietary habits of students of departments of food science and nutrition have been reported. However, no study has compared the dietary habits of graduates with and without actual clinical experience.

In total, 206 participants who graduated from the department of food science and nutrition of a university located in Tokyo between 1975 and 1984 completed a questionnaire on food and nutrient intake and lifestyle habits in 2011.

Total fat and SFA intake adjusted for energy intake or frequency of snack and fast food intake differed among participants with and without experience as dietitians, indicating that dietitian experience influenced the dietary habits of participants for approximately 30 years after graduation. Nutritional knowledge and skills acquired during attendance at a dietitian school are effective in maintaining favorable behavior for a long time. However, nutritional knowledge and skills were enhanced by later professional experience.

The refining effect of clinical experience appears to contribute to the maintenance of daily dietary habits and health. Professional experience can contribute to the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases not only personally but also for other people in terms of public health nutrition or nutritional education.

Beta‐carotene producers and food manufacturers have collated information about the usage of beta‐carotene as a colourant and in fortified foods and food supplements. These data have been combined with food consumption data from some European countries consuming higher amounts of processed foods, to generate estimates of high‐level intake to compare with official advice. Intake estimates of beta‐carotene from food colour uses for German, French and British adults ranged from 0.4 to 1.9 mg/day. Pack dosage directions and beta‐carotene content were used to estimate intakes from supplements, which could range from less than 1 mg/day to 100 mg/day. However, for the majority of products recommended daily doses were less than 10 mg/day. Theoretical intakes from fortified drinks could exceed 5 mg/day, but this level of intake is unlikely to be maintained in the longer term. The most important sources of intake appeared to be from food supplements and fortified foods. Intakes of isolated beta‐carotene were comparable to intakes of natural beta‐carotene from the diet.

Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among young Qatari women is ∼85%. The purpose of the study was to develop a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and to assess the degree of agreement between food vitamin D intakes derived from FFQ and 24-h food recall (24HFR) in young Qatari women.

A vitamin D-centric, 40-item FFQ was developed based on foods consumed in Qatar. In total, 36 Qatari women provided food intakes using FFQ and 24HFR. Vitamin D contents of foods reported in FFQ and 24HFR were computed. Spearman rank correlation was used to evaluate the relation between vitamin D intakes of FFQ and 24HFR. Bland–Altman (BA) plot and quartile comparisons were performed to determine the degree of agreement between food intakes of FFQ and 24HFR.

Median intakes of vitamin D from FFQ were significantly higher compared to the vitamin D content from 24HFR (213 IU vs 126 IU; p < 0.008). Vitamin D intakes were lower with 24HFR when compared with the intakes of FFQ. There was no significant relationship between food vitamin D intake from FFQ and 24HFR (Spearman rho = 0.16; p < 0.35). In cross classification, ∼64% were assigned to the same or adjacent quartiles. As per BA plot, more than 95% food intakes were within the limits of agreement (LOA) (BA index, 2.8%).

There was a moderate agreement between vitamin D intakes and FFQ and 24HFR. 24HFR should be used with caution in assessing the habitual food vitamin D intake because of limited sources of the vitamer in Qatari cuisine. The FFQ is suitable for estimating the food vitamin D intake in young Qatari women.

Obesity among elderly consumers precipitates undesirable health outcomes. This study aims to investigate the effects of environmental cues on food intake of elderly consumers in an aged-care facility.

A longitudinal study conducted over 17 weeks in situ within an aged-care facility with 31 residents investigated how auditory (soothing music), olfactory (floral-scented candle) and visual (infographic on health benefits of the main meal component) cues influenced food intake quantity during a meal, while accounting for portion size effect (PSE).

Analysing the cross-sectional results of individual treatments and rounds did not reveal any consistent patterns in the influence of the three environmental cues. Longitudinal analyses, however, showed that the presence of auditory and olfactory cues significantly increased food intake, but the visual cue did not. Moreover, PSE was strong.

Extending research into environmental factors from a commercial to a health-care setting, this study demonstrates how the presence of auditory and olfactory, but not cognitive cues, increased food intake behaviour among elderly consumers. It also shows that a cross-sectional approach to such studies would have yielded inconclusive or even misleading findings. Merely serving more would also lead to higher food intake amount.

Environmental factors should be a part of health-care providers’ arsenal to manage obesity. They are practical and relatively inexpensive to implement across different health-care settings. However, the same environmental factors would have opposite desired-effects with normal or underweight residents, and hence, aged-care facilities need to separate the dining experience (or mealtime) of obese and other residents. Quantity served should also be moderated to discourage overeating.

While studies into managing obesity, particularly among older adults, have mainly focused on techniques such as pharmacotherapy treatments with drugs, dietary management or even lifestyle change, less attention has been given to the influence of environmental cues. This study, executed in situ within an aged-care facility, provided evidence of the importance of considering the impact of environmental factors on food intake to help reduce obesity.

The purposes of this study were to determine the food intake purchased from the canteens or markets nearby schools; to estimate the percent intakes of energy and nutrients from canteens and markets nearby the schools as a percent of total energy and nutrient intakes; and to evaluate the association between dietary intake of energy and nutrients eaten from school canteens and markets nearby the school and body weight status.

A sample of 398 students, aged 14–18 years, was recruited from schools in Amman/Jordan. Students’ body weights and heights were measured and socio-demographic data and three days food record were collected.

The intakes of boy students from school canteens were significantly higher than those of girls in carbohydrate (g) (125 ± 6 vs 106 ± 6; p = 0.015), energy from saturated fatty acid (Kcal) (97 ± 4 vs 84 ± 5; p = 0.006), sugar (g) (43 ± 3 vs 35 ± 2; p = 0.009) and fiber (g) (6 ± 0 vs 6 ± 0; p = 0.02). Regarding food groups consumed from markets nearby schools, there were significant differences between boys and girls intake (in which the higher intake was detected in girls as compared to boys) of sweets (g) (4 ± 1 vs 3 ± 2; p = 0.017), soft drinks (ml) (28 ± 5 vs 20 ± 5; p = 0.024) and milk (ml)/milk substitutes (g) (5 ± 2 vs 0 ± 0; p = 0.001). Sugar-sweetened beverages and crackers/snacks consumption was significantly higher in boys as compared to girls. There was a significant relationship between BMI and intakes of sugar, fat, vitamin E and calcium from school canteens.

The contribution of foods from canteens and markets nearby schools was high, with high content of fats, salt and sugar, implying that there is a vital need to establish a strategy and plan of action to fight malnutrition and reduce the intake of unhealthy foods in the school environment in Jordan.

Food consumed at work can be brought from home or taken in private or university restaurants. Knowing the contribution of food consumption in the workplace allows for the identification of bad practices to modulate food availability in the work environment and raise consumer awareness for a more balanced food intake. This paper aims to characterize food consumption and to determine the contribution of food consumption at the workplace to daily food intake of employees of the University of Porto (UP).

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted. The project was approved by Ethical Commission of the UP. The principles of Helsínquia Declaration were respected and the workers under examine accept to participate in the study, through an inform consent. Data were obtained through the application of a self-administrated questionnaire and through the application of a questionnaire including a 24 h recall. There were assessed 513 individuals randomly selected, and the majority of them were women.

In total, 92.8 per cent of them preferred to have meals at the workplace that contributed to about 39.6 per cent of the daily energy intake. Reported food consumption at the workplace contributed about 42.6 per cent of carbohydrates, 39.4 per cent of total fat and 36.8 per cent of proteins for daily intake. A low intake of water (39.2 per cent of whole ingestion) and a huge amount and contribution of the workplace (48.4 per cent) to daily sugar intake was observed. Higher nutritional intake was observed for women (p < 0.05). The energy contribution of meals at the workplace is in accordance with recommendations, except for breakfast, that is below.

This work allows to characterize food habits of university employees at the workplace and the identification of the contribution of meals eaten at the workplace for daily energy and nutritional intake. These data allow to modulate food availability in the work environment and raise consumer awareness for a more balanced food intake.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the daily rhythms of eating, namely, the times at which food intake occurs during a day-long period, in Santiago, Chile.

The data used in this research come from a first time-use survey applied in Santiago in 2007 and 2008, which works with a retrospective activity journal to document the amount of time dedicated to different activities during the 24 hours of the previous day. Descriptive analysis and multinomial regressions were performed on a sample size of 2,282 cases, corresponding to those individuals over the age of 12 who responded to the daily activity prompt in full.

This study shows that people in Santiago tend to eat according to the same timetables (morning, midday and evening) and that socio-demographic variables have limited influence on the synchronization of this intake between Monday and Friday.

The data did not allow for the exploration of the duration of food intake, commensality and its variation over time.

These data reveal that, for Santiago residents, eating is far from becoming de-structured towards a mode of constant grazing throughout the day, contradicting the thesis of alimentary modernity.

These results yield evidence that calls into question the applicability of the thesis of alimentary modernity within a Latin American context, which has not before been subject to investigation.