EFFECTS OF MILK OR WATER ON LUNCH INTAKE IN PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN

In Sweden, milk and milk products are important sources of daily energ y intake but the role of milk with preschool lunch meals has been deba ted frequently and water is often alternatively given today. We studie d the effects of milk or water on lunch energy intake. Water or milk a lternatively was served in a controlled, within-subject design on 12 o ccasions to 36 children aged 4-6 years, and energy intake was analysed at an individual level in three typical preschool lunches with a vary ing degree of preference among the children. When milk was given with the meals, a mean additional energy intake of 17% (p<0.0001) was found . The pattern was similar among boys and girls and irrespective of the lunch dish served. However, for the least preferred dish (fish with p otatoes) milk helped to increase the energy intake by 26%. Physical ac tivity measured as MET units (energy expenditure/body weight), atmosph ere at the table as registered by a three-graded scale, and meal durat ion did not differ with meals or milk/water. Milk with preschool lunch meals seems to be a significant source of energy to achieve nutrition al goals for this group of children. (C) 1998 Academic Press.