Lj. Starkey et Hv. Kuhnlein, Montreal food bank users' intakes compared with recommendations of Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating, CAN J D P R, 61(2), 2000, pp. 73-75
Citations number
20
Categorie Soggetti
Food Science/Nutrition
Journal title
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF DIETETIC PRACTICE AND RESEARCH
Demand for food assistance in Canada has grown throughout the 1990s. In a s
urvey of the sociodemographic and nutritional characteristics of 428 adult
food bank users, we used results of four 24-hour recall interviews to deter
mine the number of servings from Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating food
groups these clients were consuming. Our intent was to use a resource fami
liar to diverse audiences to describe the food intake of Montreal-area food
bank clients. No age group and neither gender met the minimum target intak
e level for milk products. Mean intake of grain products and meat and alter
natives met or exceeded minimum recommended levels. Women between the ages
of 18 and 49 years consumed fewer servings of vegetables and fruit than the
recommended minimum (4.9+/-3.2 servings). In general, food bank users' mea
n intakes were no worse than those of the Quebec general population, althou
gh their intake of milk products was lower. However, the mean number of foo
d group servings varied greatly and reflected very low intakes by some food
-bank clients. Nutrition education based on Canada's Food Guide to Healthy
Eating may be one approach that food banks can take to help clients broaden
the number and variety of foods consumed.