Carbohydrates intake preference among university students towards balanced intake practice

Abstract

Food is necessary for our living since it helps in preserving our life in this world. Occasionally, we may have similar food preferences with our friends and families and sometimes we recognize the meals as the highlight for a celebration. Usually, people tend to choose their meals according to the availability of the meal in the market or the characteristics of the food itself such as the taste of the food. Students usually choose food based on their need, but it is vital for them to take care of their daily nutrient intake, especially carbohydrate (CHO) to give them more energy to facilitate productivity and healthy daily life. However, there is a possibility to practice imbalance intake due to surrounding factors that can cause an excessive intake of nutrient which later may contribute to obesity or inadequate intake that may cause lethargic and nutrient deficiency. This study determined the carbohydrate preferences among college students in UiTM Dungun, Terengganu, Malaysia. Data collection was done by convenience sampling from 160 students (bachelor’s degree student). A questionnaire that consisted of two sections; section A (socio-demographic profile) and section B (food preferences) was used to collect the data. Majority of the students chose rice (74.4%) as their most preferred carbohydrates, followed by 10.6% noodles, 7.5% bread, 3.8% cereal product, 2.5% biscuits and only 1.3% of the students preferred tubers. This can give some ideas and more room for improvement and monitoring on the CHO intake towards healthy eating practice among university students. This will also help the food provider in preparing and modifying healthy meal according to food preferences at the university’s cafeteria. In addition, this may also assist food manufacturer to get some ideas for proposing healthier food innovation in the future based on youth preference.