[A survey of hospital diet. Connection between the nutritive value found by analysis and by calculation]

The primary aim of this study is to determine the nutritional quality of the food prepared in a selected Danish hospital. Samples consisted of four double portions of the hospital's standard daily ration from two randomly chosen weeks. The amounts of fatty acid, protein, ash, total dry material, and vitamin C were measured. The amount of carbohydrate, energy, and percentage of available energy were calculated. The total energy level was measured to eight MJ per day. The measured percentage of available energy given as protein (17%) and the vitamin C levels (14 mg/MJ) have fulfilled the recommendations. The percentage of energy given as carbohydrates (38%) is below and the percentage of energy given as fat (45%) is above the recommended levels (50% and 32%). There is a direct correlation between the average calculated and the average measured values when all of the meals are analysed as an entity, but the correlation is weak for individual meals.