Abstract
Objective To investigate the role of snack foods in the diets of adolescents in relation to recommendations.
Design A quantitative study whereby the food intakes of 28 adolescents aged 11-14 years were recorded for three consecutive days.
Setting A secondary school in South West London.
Methods Food intake was recorded using food diaries and the computer package CompEat-5.ANOVA and T-tests were used to identify significant differences.
Results Snack foods made significant (p<0.001) contributions to all nutrients. However increased saturated fat intakes were beyond acceptable levels. Boys had higher intakes of all nutrients, with the exception of calcium, and significantly (p<0.01) greater intakes of iron and zinc. Conclusion Without compromising the benefits of snack foods, health promotion strategies need to be designed to reduce adolescent intakes of fat and sugar.
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