[Breakfast among students of compulsory secondary education]

To study the breakfast model of a rural population of obligatory secondary education (ESO) and to analyze the energy and nutrients provided, in connection with established nutritional requirements.

Randomized year-stratified distribution of a semi-quantitative questionnaire on the frequency of food intake for breakfast (on rising and mid-morning snack) to 400 ESO students: 188 males (47%) and 212 females (53%), aged between 13 and 16 years. The densities of nutrients have been calculated in proportion to established dietary recommendations (%RDA).

93.2% had breakfast on rising and 83.8% took a mid-morning snack on a daily basis. The most common foods were milk (89.3%) and sweet food (45.7%) for the first breakfast and a sandwich with cold meats an/or cured ham (74.6%) at mid-morning. The mean %RDA of the calorie intake was 30.6% in males and 36.1% in females (n.s.). The mean %RDA of the cholesterol intake was 54.3% in males and 48.6% in females (n.s.). The %RDA for calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin B12 were greater (p < 0.05) in early breakfasts, whereas the %RDA of iron intake, vitamin B1 and niacin were greater (p < 0.05) in the snack.

This breakfast model, while providing an appropriate provision of energy, differs from the prototype of a healthy diet through an excessive consumption of refined sugars (early breakfast) and meat and derivatives (snack) with a deficit in cereals and fruit. It would be necessary to encourage dietary advice in Primary Health Care programmes, as well as to develop food and nutrition programmes within compulsory education.