[Nutritional assessment of recipes distributed to households]

This study examines the nutritional standards of recipes in six pamphlets distributed to all households in Denmark. The publications all purport to contain recipes for a healthy diet. The nutritional values given in the publications are compared to calculated values and found to be almost identical. The fat content of most of the recipes is too high: recipes in the first three pamphlets had a median fat energy content of 50%. The later publications are better: 40% in two pamphlet and 33% in the last pamphlet. It is likely that the high fat content of the household distributed pamphlets contributes to the continued high fat content in the Danish diet. We suggest that the fat energy percent should be less than 30 in half the recipes and be only 30-35 on average. The energy content should not be greater than 2.5-3.5 MJ per portion. Nutritional value estimates and the nutrition information should be standardized so as to make them more accessible for the consumer who wishes to make healthy diet choices, and more instructive generally concerning general principles of an appetizing and healthy diet.