Nutritional status of Northwest Indiana Hispanics in a congregate meal program

Rapid growth in the Hispanic elderly population, coupled with their unique needs, necessitates increasing their numbers in Title III(C) meal programs. This study assessed the nutritional adequacy of the diets of 49 Northwest Indiana congregate meal participants by evaluating: (1) their 1-day food records, and (2) the contributions of the site meal to daily intake. Mean daily total nutrient intakes, except for energy intake by the men, exceeded 67% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs); however, only 22% of individual diets met this standard. Mean site meal nutrient intakes, aside from energy and magnesium by men, exceeded the recommended one-third of the RDAs, and contributed 42-73% of most nutrients to the daily intake despite the fact that the majority of the recipients refused one or more offered site meal components. Results of this study verify the importance of the role of congregate meals in providing nutritional adequacy to diets of Hispanic elderly and can be useful in menu and program planning for this population.