DIETARY INTAKE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: PROTECTIVE FOODS VERSUS ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS

Objective: To analyze the dietary intake of university students according to the degree of food processing. Methods: Cross-sectional study of a random sample of 40 undergraduate students at the Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo –campus Baixada Santista (Federal University of Sao Paulo). Dietary intake was estimated by three non-consecutive 24-hour recalls. Mean intake of energy, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, calcium, iron, sodium and dietary fiber were calculated. Each food reported was classified according to the degree of processing and organized by food group to evaluate the quality of the diet. Results: The mean energy intake was 1752.27 kcal (SD = 575.26 kcal), being 42.19% from unprocessed or minimally processed foods, 9.71% from processed foods, 7.09% from processed culinary ingredients and 41.01% from ultra-processed foods. There was higher contribution of unprocessed or minimally processed foods for the quotas of protein, iron and dietary fiber, and of the ultra-processed ones for carbohydrates, lipids and sodium. Discussion: Intake of ultra-processed foods represents almost half of the contribution to the daily energy of university students. Foods of ultra-processed group offer lower contribution of dietary fiber and micronutrients and are most likely to be of high sodium content. Conclusions: It is possible to project that the maintenance of this dietary profile may have negative effects on health, due to the risks associated with high consumption on ultra-processed foods. DOI: 10.12957/demetra.2017.29257