Diet Quality and Adequacy of Nutrients in Preschool Children: Should Rice Fortified with Micronutrients Be Included in School Meals?

Feeding is indicative of the nutritional status of children, however micronutrient deficiency is common in this age group. We evaluated the impact of inclusion of rice (Ultra Rice(®) (UR(®))) fortified with iron, zinc, thiamin and folic acid on laboratory measurements and the nutrient intake of chil...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients 2016-05, Vol.8 (5), p.296
Main Authors: Della Lucia, Ceres M, Rodrigues, Kellen Cristina C, Rodrigues, Vivian Cristina C, Santos, Laura Luiza M, Cardoso, Leandro M, Martino, Hércia S D, Franceschini, Sylvia C C, Pinheiro-Sant'Ana, Helena Maria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child
Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Child, Preschool
Diet - standards
Dietary Supplements
Exercise
Female
Food, Fortified
fortification
health eating index
hidden hunger
Humans
Male
Micronutrients - administration & dosage
Micronutrients - chemistry
minerals
Nutritional Requirements
Nutritive Value
Oryza - chemistry
Schools
vitamins
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Summary:Feeding is indicative of the nutritional status of children, however micronutrient deficiency is common in this age group. We evaluated the impact of inclusion of rice (Ultra Rice(®) (UR(®))) fortified with iron, zinc, thiamin and folic acid on laboratory measurements and the nutrient intake of children. Ninety-nine preschoolers (2-6 years; 42.6% male) from two preschools participated, one of which received UR(®) added to polished rice as part of school meals (test preschool) and the other received only polished rice (control preschool). Biochemical evaluations were performed before and after four months of intervention. Feeding was assessed by direct weighing of food, complemented by 24-h recalls, and the diet was assessed by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) adapted to the Brazilian reality. The fortified rice improved the levels of zinc (p < 0.001), thiamine (p < 0.001), folic acid (p = 0.003), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (p < 0.001) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (p < 0.001). The inadequacy percentages of thiamine, folic acid and iron were lower among preschoolers from the test preschool. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of using UR(®) on laboratory measurements of children. The inadequate intake of thiamine, folic acid and iron was also reduced, making the fortified rice an interesting strategy in school feeding programs.
ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu8050296