ANÁLISE DA OFERTA ALIMENTAR EM REFEIÇÕES DE UMA PRÉ-ESCOLA DA CIDADE DE SÃO PAULO

Abstract

The foundation of dietary behavior is acquired during childhood. The quality and quantity of food are essential, because they develop healthy eating habits. School also has a decisive role in the development of these habits. The main goal of this study was to analyze qualitatively and quantitatively the meal provided to children in a private preschool in São Paulo. A method of Qualitative Evaluation of Menu Components (QEMC) was applied and adapted, to evaluate the quality of the monthly menu. To quantify the per capita portioning, the number of meals served and the quantity of food placed on the plate were considered, for three days. The average consumption was calculated by excluding the leftovers. The quality of the menu was considered appropriate, because fruit and vegetables were provided every day, and sweets and processed juices were not offered. The averaged portioning was 248.81 g per capita. The leftovers represented 20.75%. It was concluded that there was a significant amount of leftovers, which makes more research necessary to reduce the waste.