RESUMO
Observations made in Antigua indicate that children consume significant amounts of food between main meals. Some of the constituents of snacks are nutritionally valuable but much of this intake is undesirable and could be laying the foundations of ill-health. Continuing efforts in the field of education on nutrition are clearly necessary for both the children and their parents.
PIP: Protein malnutrition remains a problem throughout much of the Caribbean region. In Antigua 5-7% of children are malnourished, and 15% of children aged 17-19% are obese and at risk for diabetes, hypertension, and stroke later in life. Problems of malnutrition are exacerbated by the high cost of fruits and vegetables and nonnutritious imports from the US of fatty fast foods that are high in sugar, fat, and additives. Nutrition education is introduced in home economic courses in schools and in parental education efforts. The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute has a pilot education project operating in elementary and secondary schools. The aim is to study the nature, extent, and quality of snacking among children aged 9-11 years of age. The study involves 20 children who keep a log of foods consumed in the course of a day. Snacks are considered to be all food consumed between meals or after the evening meal. Nonbasic foods are identified as those not fitting the basic six food groups. Findings show that every child eats between meals. 60% of the children eat between breakfast and lunch. 41% of all energy is obtained from foods consumed as snacks between lunch and dinner, and 8% of all energy is obtained from morning snacks. Principal snack foods include soft drinks, fresh fruit and unsweetened fruit juices, sweets and chocolates, sugar, and based products (listed in highest to lowest frequency of consumption). Over 33% of daily energy intake, almost 50% of carbohydrate intake, and almost 66% of added sugar are obtained from snacks. Daily consumption averages 61 g of sugar and ranges from 8 to 101 g. 33% of average energy intake is obtained from meals.