Food intake at age 8. 3. Distribution and food density by meal

This report describes how nutrient intake was distributed throughout the day, and the nutrient density according to meal, in 78 boys and 63 girls who have been studied from birth. The food intake was calculated from 4 day weighed records using the CSIRONET data bank based on British tables of food composition. The percentages of total energy from breakfast, lunch, evening meal, and snacks were 20, 26, 31, 23%. There was a very wide range of individual nutrient intake for each meal. The evening meal made the largest contribution to fat and protein intake. Most starch came from lunch (30%) and least from snacks (16%). Snacks contained a large portion of the simple sugars (39%). Breakfast was an important source of calcium and B vitamins, but with wide ranges of micronutrients occurring for each meal. This analysis of nutrient density and distribution contributes towards the formulation of practical recommendations about beneficial dietary changes.