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Eating habits can significantly affect healthy growth and development during childhood especially health and life quality in later adulthood. The Mediterranean eating pattern approved protection against several chronic degenerative diseases, cancers and disorders, while greater adherence to this healthy pattern benefit to better nutrient profile especially in children. The aim of this study is to determine the representation of Mediterranean diet in menus served for 3366 children aged 1 to 7 in 29 kindergartens of City of Rijeka, Croatia. The study was done on 4 seasonal menus divided each on 4 types for 5 days in a week, altogether 80 daily menus. The menus were assessed according to Mediterranean dietary pattern pyramid presented as food groups serving per day or week and then scored. The inclusion for the diet score was the consumption of 10 following food groups: cereals (bread, pasta, rice, other grains, biscuits, etc.), fruits, vegetables, legumes, potatoes, fish, meat and meat products, poultry, full fat dairy products (cheese, yoghurt, milk) and olive oil. Monotonic functions to score the frequency of consumption of these foods were used. The score ranges from 0 to 50. Higher values of this score indicate greater adherence to Mediterranean diet. Studied menus adhered to Mediterranean diet on average moderately. One third of daily menus completely adhered to Mediterranean diet. The average score was 35 and ranged from 29 to 50. The best score was for cereals, fruits and vegetables. From cereals, brown rice, corn and oats was used as whole grains, on average once per week each. Legumes were presented in menus on average 2 times per week, fish once, with exception for one summer menu were was presented 2 times per week. From dairy products milk was daily consumed while yoghurt was on average 2 times per week, even more in home backed fruit cakes. Poultry and red meat was served on average 2 times per week, while red meat was presented more often in winter menus. Olive oil was presented on daily basis in salads and cooking. We can conclude that Mediterranean diet is moderately presented in assessed kindergartens menus. We highlight that the menus were planned by public health nutritionists according to seasonal and local foods. Public health nutritionist’s efforts that Mediterranean diet to be presented even more but there are some limitations due to kindergarten business. Children as the most vulnerable population group deserves more health atention therefore public health policies should be more towards their diet, starting kindergarten, to start with healthy dietary habits, in order to prevent later diet-disasess onset. |
