Abstract
Economic growth in developing countries and globalization of the food sector is leading to increasingly similar food consumption patterns worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe similarities and differences in the contributions of main food groups to energy and nutrient intakes in five developed countries across three continents. We obtained summary reports of national food consumption survey data from Australia, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States. Survey years spanned 2003–2012; sample size ranged from 1444 to 17,386. To mitigate heterogeneity of food groups across countries, we recategorized each survey’s reported food groups and subgroups into eight main food groups and, for three countries, a ninth “mixed dishes” group. We determined the percent contribution of each food group to mean daily intakes of energy, saturated fat, sodium, fiber, and ten vitamins and minerals that are commonly under-consumed. Differences in findings from surveys utilizing a foods-as-consumed versus a disaggregated or ingredients approach to food group composition and contributions from the milk and milk products group, a source of several under-consumed nutrients, were explored. Patterns of food group contributions to energy and nutrient intakes were generally similar across countries. Some differences were attributable to the analytical approach used by the surveys. For the meat/protein, milk and milk products, vegetables, and fruit groups, percent contributions to key nutrient intakes exceeded percent contributions to energy intake. The mixed dishes group provided 10%–20% of total daily energy and a similar 10%–25% of the daily intake of several nutrients. This descriptive study contributes to an understanding of food group consumption patterns in developed countries.
Highlights
Across the globe, populations vary widely in the foods they find affordable, appealing and culturally acceptable
Because the milk and milk products group is an important source of several nutrients of interest and its nutrient contributions are partially obscured in surveys that use the foods-as-consumed approach, we examined its role in the diets of adults and children in three countries more closely, focusing on nutrients that are commonly under- or overconsumed and for which milk and milk products are important contributors: saturated fat, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iodine, potassium, selenium and sodium [22]
In countries with total population data available, mean daily energy intake ranged from a low of 8493 kilojoules (2030 kcals) in Australia to a high of 9510 kJ (2273 kcals) in the Netherlands, a difference of 12%
Summary
Populations vary widely in the foods they find affordable, appealing and culturally acceptable. The prevalence of obesity and several non-communicable chronic diseases associated with obesity and diet has increased [1,2,3]. Many developed countries are experiencing similar diet-related population health risks and have developed national dietary guidelines to promote healthy eating patterns [4,5,6,7,8,9]. The guidelines commonly emphasize limiting energy and dietary components that are linked to increased risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and other non-communicable chronic diseases [4,5,6,7,8,9]. Some advise limiting consumption of added sugars in order to lower total energy intake and improve dietary balance [4,5,6,7,8,9]
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