Macronutrient and food intake in the Baltic republics

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe mean macronutrient a nd food intakes in the Baltic republics, with a particular focus on fat, ve getable and fruit consumption. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Data from surveys conducted in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in th e summer of 1997 were used. Information was collected using a 24 h rec all of dietary intake and an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Subjects: Representative national samples of adults were selected. All thos e with information from the dietary recall were included in the study (Esto nia: n = 2015; Latvia: n = 2300; Lithuania: n = 2094). Results: The mean proportion of energy from fat was high in each country, b ut particularly in Lithuania (44%) and Latvia (42%) compared with Estonia ( 36%). In contrast, percentage energy from carbohydrate, protein and alcohol was higher in Estonia. Mean protein intake was generally sufficient if not high in some population sub-groups. Median vegetable intakes were very low (<200 g/day) in each country, particularly in Latvia. While 78% of the Lit huanian respondents consumed vegetables daily, this was the case in only 60 % of the Latvian and 48% of the Estonian respondents. Conclusions: This study suggests that there is a pressing need to replace h igh-fat energy dense foods by foods rich in complex carbohydrates and dieta ry fibre, such as vegetables and fruits, in the Baltic republics. This coul d provide the populations with a reduced risk and increased protection agai nst non-communicable diseases. These issues will need to be tackled through comprehensive food and nutrition policies and health promotion campaigns.