Designing the eatwell week: the application of eatwell plate advice to weekly food intake

<p>To develop a menu and resource to illustrate to consumers and health professionals what a healthy balanced diet looks like over the course of a week.</p> <p>Development and analysis of an illustrative 7 d ‘eatwell week’ menu to meet current UK recommendations for nutrients with a Dietary Reference Value, with a daily energy base of 8368 kJ (2000 kcal). Foods were selected using market research data on meals and snacks commonly consumed by UK adults. Analysis used the food composition data set from year 1 (2008) of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey rolling programme. The eatwell week menu was developed using an iterative process of nutritional analysis with adjustments made to portion sizes and the inclusion/exclusion of foods in order to achieve the target macronutrient composition.</p> <p>Three main meals and two snacks were presented as interchangeable within the weekdays and two weekend days to achieve adult food and nutrient recommendations. Main meals were based on potatoes, rice or pasta with fish (two meals; one oily), red meat (two meals), poultry or vegetarian accompaniments. The 5-a-day target for fruit and vegetables (range 5–6·7 portions) was achieved daily. Mean salt content was below recommended maximum levels (<6 g/d). All key macro- and micronutrient values were achieved.</p> <p>Affordable foods, and those widely consumed by British adults, can be incorporated within a 7 d healthy balanced menu. Future research should investigate the effect of using the eatwell week on adults’ dietary habits and health-related outcomes.</p&gt

Meat and dairy consumption in Scottish adults: Insights from a national survey

Background: Reducing meat and dairy consumption has been advocated for environmental benefits. This study aimed to better understand meat and dairy consumption in a population with high intakes. Methods: Dietary data were obtained from up to two online 24-h dietary recalls of adults (≥16 years) in the 2021 Scottish Health Survey, a nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional survey. The contribution of food groups to meat and dairy intake and the nutritional contributions of meat and milk products to intake of 28 nutrients were examined. Weighted mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) daily intakes were reported per capita, overall, and by demographic subgroups (age, gender and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation). Results: Mean daily intakes of total meat and dairy were 80.4 g (95% CI 77.1–83.7) and 238.6 g (95% CI 228.9–248.3) per capita, respectively. Chicken dishes, beef dishes and sandwiches were the primary contributors to meat intake, together accounting for 56.1% of meat consumed. Liquid milk accounted for 63.4% of the dairy consumed. Meat products were an important source of selenium and zinc (accounting for 26% and 25% of intake, respectively), whereas milk products were an important source of calcium (34%), iodine (38%) and vitamin A (25%). Conclusions: Although meat and dairy consumption in Scotland is high, a number of food groups contributed to meat intake, providing several opportunities to target for a reduction in line with climate change ambitions. However, careful attention is required for replacements to ensure Scottish diets are nutritionally adequate.</p

A novel online food recall checklist for use in an undergraduate student population : a comparison with diet diaries

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Meat and milk product consumption in Scottish adults: insights from a national survey

Reducing meat and dairy consumption has been advocated for environmental benefits. To better understand meat and dairy consumption in a population with high intakes, we analysed 24-hour dietary recall data from adults (≥16 years) in the 2021 Scottish Health Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey in Scotland. Mean daily intakes (95% confidence interval [CI]) of total meat and milk products were 80g (95% CI 77-84) and 230g (95% CI 219-240) per capita, respectively. Homemade chicken dishes, beef dishes, and ham sandwiches were the primary contributors to meat intake, together accounting for 57% of meat consumed. Liquid milk accounted for 62% of milk products consumed. Meat products provided 26% of selenium, and 25% of zinc intake, while milk products contributed significantly to calcium (34%), iodine (38%), and vitamin A (25%). Opportunities exist to align diets with climate goals, but careful consideration is needed for replacements to maintain nutritional adequacy

An evaluation of the effectiveness of tailored dietary feedback from a novel online dietary assessment method for changing the eating habits of undergraduate students

A new, Internet-based Food Recall Checklist (FoRC) was developed to assess students diet; a checklist of 121 foods consumed on the previous day which was completed on multiple days.  FoRC was validated against a non-weighted diet record in two studies (n=94).  Novel feedback messages for students were created and software was developed to link these messages to results from individual dietary assessment in FoRC.  An intervention trial was planned to measure students’ diet and to deliver tailored nutrition messages via the Internet, to assess whether tailored dietary feedback could help to promote healthy diet change. General dietary intake of the sample was analysed using one-day diet records from 459 undergraduate students.  The dietary intake of the sample of students was found to be healthier than participants aged 19-24 years in the UK-wide National Diet and Nutrition Survey.  However, there was evidence of poor dietary habits; Non-Milk Extrinsic Sugars (NMES) intake exceeded the maximum daily guideline intake and fruit and vegetable and Non-Starch Polysaccharide intakes did not meet recommendations. There was also evidence of excessive consumption of unhealthy foods, such as alcohol, crisps and confectionary. Change in dietary intake was assessed in an intervention group and control group.  The intervention group received feedback after baseline, three and six month completion of four days of FoRC.  The retention rate was very low, but in participants who completed the protocol NMES intake significantly decreased in the intervention group at six  months compared to the control group (p=0.017). It was concluded that monitoring diet in students may still be an important public health objective; students may be relatively healthy, but may still benefit from nutrition surveillance and advice.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Red and red processed meat consumption behaviours in Scottish adults

In 2021, 32% of adult meat consumers in Scotland exceeded the 70g/d recommended limit of red and red processed meat (RPM) intake. We analysed RPM consumption behaviours among adults in the Scottish Health Survey (2021) to better understand this consumer group. Consumers were categorised into low, medium, and high consumers, and overall, mean intake was 66g/d. Males and individuals living in the most deprived areas were most likely to be high consumers (45% vs 30% for males vs females respectively and 44% vs 32% for those in the most vs least deprived areas respectively). Dinners accounted for the majority of intake among high (55%) and medium (52%) consumers, while low consumers distributed intake between lunch (40%) and dinner (48%). Across all groups, consumption was highest on Sundays, and majority of RPM was purchased at supermarkets. Beef dishes and sandwiches were primary contributors among high and medium consumers. These insights can inform the design of effective strategies and policies aligned with meat reduction targets. For instance, strategies focusing on modifying traditional meat-centric dishes and sandwiches could be impactful

Meat and dairy consumption in Scottish adults: insights from a national survey

Background: Reducing meat and dairy consumption has been advocated for environmental benefits. This study aimed to better understand meat and dairy consumption in a population with high intakes. Methods: Dietary data were obtained from up to two online 24-h dietary recalls of adults (≥16 years) in the 2021 Scottish Health Survey, a nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional survey. The contribution of food groups to meat and dairy intake and the nutritional contributions of meat and milk products to intake of 28 nutrients were examined. Weighted mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) daily intakes were reported per capita, overall, and by demographic subgroups (age, gender and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation). Results: Mean daily intakes of total meat and dairy were 80.4 g (95% CI 77.1–83.7) and 238.6 g (95% CI 228.9–248.3) per capita, respectively. Chicken dishes, beef dishes and sandwiches were the primary contributors to meat intake, together accounting for 56.1% of meat consumed. Liquid milk accounted for 63.4% of the dairy consumed. Meat products were an important source of selenium and zinc (accounting for 26% and 25% of intake, respectively), whereas milk products were an important source of calcium (34%), iodine (38%) and vitamin A (25%). Conclusions: Although meat and dairy consumption in Scotland is high, a number of food groups contributed to meat intake, providing several opportunities to target for a reduction in line with climate change ambitions. However, careful attention is required for replacements to ensure Scottish diets are nutritionally adequate.</p