Despite inconclusive evidence, the idea that a lack of home food preparation and skills is a limiting factor in achieving a healthy diet is widespread. Cooking skills interventions proliferate, and ...several countries now mention cooking in their dietary guidelines. The aim of this study was to determine whether substantial consumption of home-prepared food is necessary for high dietary quality by exploring whether individuals can eat healthily while eating little home-prepared food. The diets of these individuals were characterised, and socio-demographic characteristics and prevalence of obesity were also explored.
Cross-sectional analysis of UK dietary survey data with objectively measured height and weight and a 4-day food diary for each participant was conducted. A subsample (N = 1063, aged ≥19 years) with a high dietary quality (determined using a score derived from the Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) diet) was analysed. Within this, participants were grouped as either high or low home preparation based on the proportion of energy derived from home-prepared food. Regression models were used to determine whether and how those in the high and low home preparation groups differed in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, DASH score, energy intake, prevalence of obesity, and dietary composition.
The low home preparation group included 442 participants, while 621 participants were in the high home preparation group. The low home preparation group were more likely to be older and white, and less likely to have a degree level education. After adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics, there were no differences in DASH score, energy intake or obesity prevalence between the groups. After adjustment, the low home preparation group consumed more fruit (30.8 additional g/day, 95% CI 5.5-56.1), more low-fat dairy foods (24.6 additional g/day, 95% CI 1.7-47.5) and less red meat (10.4 fewer g/day, 95% CI 4.3-16.6), but also more sugar (11.6 additional g/day, 95% CI 7.5-15.6) and sodium (107.8 additional mg/day, 95% CI 13.8-201.8).
Home food preparation should not be presented as a prerequisite to a high quality diet. The public health community should recognise the existence of a set of food practices which allows individuals to achieve a healthy diet with little contribution from home-prepared food, and make space for it in the design of their policies and interventions.
The introduction of complementary foods is a crucial stage in the development and determination of infants' health status in both the short and longer-term. This study describes complementary feeding ...practices among infants and toddlers in Spain. Also, relationships among sample characteristics (both parents and their child), feeding practices (timing, type of complementary food), and parental pressure to eat were explored. Cognitive interviewing with 18 parents was used to refine the survey questions. Responses from a national random sample of 630 parents, who were responsible for feeding their infants and toddlers aged 3-18 months, were obtained. Solids, often cereals and/or fruits first, were introduced at a median age of five months. Fish and eggs were introduced around the age of nine and ten months. Almost all children were fed with home-prepared foods at least once per week (93%), and in 36% of the cases, salt was added. Interestingly, higher levels of parental pressure to eat were found in female infants, younger parents, parents with a full-time job, the southern regions of Spain, and in infants who were not fed with home-prepared foods. Our insights underline the importance of clear feeding recommendations that can support health care professionals in promoting effective strategies to improve parental feeding practices.
Street foods are an important source of nutrients for poor urban residents. This study aimed to identify determinants of the proportion of daily energy provided by non–home-prepared foods.
A survey ...was conducted in a slum and a low- to middle-income area of Nairobi. The survey included 241 men and 254 women. Through a structured questionnaire, data on demographic and socioeconomic factors were collected and food intake was assessed with three standardized 24-hour recalls. A measure of socioeconomic status was constructed with principal component analysis.
For women in the slum area, the presence of school-age children and distance to work were determinants of non–home-prepared food consumption, whereas employment status and distance to work were determinants for men in the slum area (
P < 0.05). Having their own income and, for those employed, employment status were determinants for women in the low- to middle-income area, whereas socioeconomic status was the determinant for the men (
P < 0.05). In the slum area, most non–home-prepared foods were derived from street foods, whereas in the low- to middle-income area, both kiosks and street foods were important sources of non–home-prepared foods.
In the determinants of non–home-prepared energy consumption, we discerned a pattern from rather basic determinants to determinants of a more complicated nature with increasing socioeconomic level of the groups. Furthemore, a shift from street foods to kiosks as the main source of non–home-prepared foods consumed appeared with increasing socioeconomic levels.
When dogs have food allergy, home-prepared food can be desired. Further, some owners prefer to cook for their dogs. However, it is difficult for dog owners to formulate nutritionally well-balanced ...home-prepared foods. Therefore, we designed recipes of home-prepared food satisfying AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles（2016）, i.e. nutritionally complete foods. In addition, we designed the recipes that veterinarians and pet-food dietitians easily instruct owners and that owners easily purchase the ingredients at a local market. We formulated nutritionally complete foods consisting of basal food and supplementary food; the basal foods are the main sources of protein and carbohydrate and its ingredients are selected from routinely-consumed foodstuffs by general household, a supplementary food consisting of fixed ingredients are for supplying trace nutrients. We mainly referred STANDARD TABLES OF FOOD COMPOSITION IN JAPAN - 2015 -（Seventh Revised Version）for estimating nutrient concentrations in the designed foods. Metabolizable-energy（ME）content was calculated with modified Atwater factors and the nutritional adequacy was assessed by the estimated dietary nutrient-concentrations on the ME basis. It was difficult to satisfy the minimum level of calcium in the nutrient profiles using commonly used foodstuffs. Therefore, we determined mineral concentration in chicken egg shells, indicating that chicken egg shells can substitute for calcium additives in the complete foods. The basal foods almost satisfied essential-amino-acid concentrations but many trace nutrients were inadequate in the basal foods. The addition of supplementary food containing egg shells to basal foods makes all of trace nutrients adequate. Using our method of design for dog foods, dog owners easily prepare nutritionally complete foods satisfying AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles（2016）.
Background/Aims: Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) has become a commonly-performed procedure, to provide enteral nutrition for patients who are unable to eat. The aims of this study were to ...evaluate the long term efficacy, morbidity and mortality of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). Material and methods: We analysed 144 patients who underwent a PEG procedure. Survival curves were done with the Kaplan–Meier method. The indication was long-term enteral nutrition in patients unable to maintain adequate nutrition by mouth. Results: The procedure was successful in all but one case. Mean age was 62 (18–85) years, 89 (62%) males. Seven patients recovered from their primary disease and gastrostomy tube was removed. Mean follow-up was 7.3±10.8 (1–66) months. Survival rates at 30 days, 1 year and 3 years following gastrostomy were 82%, 36% and 14%, respectively. Survival curves were better in females (P<0.0001). In almost all cases, patients were fed with current home-prepared food, and were ambulatory. There were no differences in survival curves according to the nutritional status. Conclusions: There were few procedure-related complications, but a high short-term mortality, probably related with the underlying disease. The use of home-prepared food through the gastrostomy was very well tolerated, and should be encouraged.
The objective of this study was to inform consumer-facing dietary guidance by (1) adapting the current University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) food processing framework to include a home ...processing (HP) component and (2) pilot testing the adapted version using a nationally representative sample of foods consumed in the U.S. The UNC framework was adapted to include guidelines for categorizing home-prepared (HP) foods. The original UNC and adapted HP frameworks were used to code dietary recalls from a random sample of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015-2016 cycle) participants (
= 100; ages 2-80 years). Percent changes between the UNC and HP adapted frameworks for each processing category were calculated using Microsoft Excel, version 16.23. Participants were 56% female, 35% non-Hispanic white (mean age = 31.3 ± 23.8). There were 1,376 foods with 651 unique foods reported. Using the HP compared to the UNC framework, unprocessed/minimally processed foods declined by 11.7% (UNC: 31.0% vs. HP: 27.4%); basic processed foods increased by 116.8% (UNC: 8.2% vs. HP: 17.8%); moderately processed foods increased by 16.3% (UNC: 14.2% vs. HP: 16.6%); and highly processed foods decreased by 17.8% (UNC: 46.5% vs. HP: 38.2%). Home-prepared foods should be considered as distinct from industrially produced foods when coding dietary data by processing category. This has implications for consumer-facing dietary guidance that incorporates processing level as an indicator of diet quality.
: To determine the nutritional importance of non-home prepared foods for men, women and schoolchildren living in two low-income residential areas of Nairobi, and the sources of these non-home ...prepared foods.
: A survey was conducted in Korogocho, a slum area, and Dandora, a low-middle-income residential area. Some 241 men, 254 women and 146 children aged 9 to 14 years were included in the study. Food intake was measured using three 24-hour recalls per individual, with special attention on the sources of all foods consumed.
: The median proportion of daily energy intake of consumers provided by non-home prepared foods ranged from 13% for schoolchildren in Korogocho to 36% for men in Dandora. The median contribution to fat intake was higher than to energy, but the contributions to iron and vitamin A intakes were lower than to energy intake. Men consumed more non-home prepared foods on weekdays than at the weekend. Intakes of energy and most nutrients were below Kenyan Recommended Daily Intakes in all groups, but similar for consumers and non-consumers. In Korogocho, street foods were the main source of non-home prepared foods. In Dandora, both kiosks and street foods were major sources.
: Non-home prepared foods are an important source of energy and nutrients for men, women and schoolchildren in Nairobi. In Korogocho, street foods, and in Dandora, both kiosks and street foods are the main sources of non-home prepared foods. The adequacy of energy and nutrient intakes does not differ between consumers and non-consumers of non-home prepared foods.
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