Nutritional Adequacy of the Daily Stuff at the University Canteens: The Case of a Philippine University

Abstract

One of the services that a college or university offers to her students is food service. The school canteen can serve as an avenue for developing proper food habits, supporting nutrition education and observing table etiquette. The school canteen can also help reduce nutritional problems by offering and promoting a good selection of economical but nutritious, palatable and sanitary foods. The purpose of this study is to determine the nutritional qualities of the foods regularly sold and consumed by the students and employees at the school canteens. Ten snack items were subjected to analysis to determine their calorie and nutritive values. The study revealed that most of the snack foods do not meet at least one-fifth of the recommended energy and nutrient intake (RENI) for adolescents ages 16 to 18 years for calories, proteins, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, calcium and iron. It is suggested that regular evaluation of nutritional qualities of food be conducted to ensure the consumption of wholesome food leading to improved health and well-being.