THE CONTRIBUTION OF FOODS FROM OUTSIDE THE HOME TO THE NUTRIENT INTAKE OF YOUNG ADOLESCENTS

Eating patterns in the UK are changing, not least of these changes is the increase in food availability and choice outside the home. Eating outside the home is not a new phenomenon; limited data are available f or adults and for the population as a whole, but no such data exist fo r children. Information on food choices and purchasing is valuable in identifying relevant targets for effective change. This paper reports the dietary intake and the percentage of total intake from home and aw ay from home (identifying as outside sources, school meals, other home s, school tuck-shops and shops or cafes for 379 11-12-year-old schoolc hildren in 1990), as well as the nutrient density of intakes from each food source. Each child completed two 3-day dietary records between J anuary and July 1990, and was interviewed after each 3-day record by o ne dietitian. The purpose of the interview was to verify and enlarge u pon the information recorded in order to obtain a quantitative record of food intake and to determine the source of each food item. Food tab les were used to calculate nutrient intake. Sources of food outside th e home accounted for approximately 30% of their total energy intake. F ood from home had the highest micronutrient density of ail the sources , The nutrient density of school meals compared well with food from ho me; school meals were lower in non-milk extrinsic sugars although high er in fat and lower in protein, non-starch polysaccharides, iron and r etinol equivalents. Foods purchased from shops/cafes or school tuck-sh ops were of poor nutrient quality for all nutrients measured. Children from 'low' social groups had intakes of a lower nutrient density from home than children from 'high' social groups and also obtained a grea ter proportion of their total diet from shops or cafes. Although the p opularity of the different food sources outside the home varied with g ender and social group, the quality of intake obtained did not, sugges ting that children followed peer group food preferences outside the ho me rather than food habits taught at home.