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Assessing Adequacy of a Child’s Diet with a Recorded Food Intake 49

   A professional trained in assessing dietary         Food group                Recommended number
intake (e.g. a dietitian) can use this information to  1. Bread, rice,           of daily age-appropriate
assess the nutritional adequacy by one of two          potatoes, pasta and       servings
methods:                                               other starchy foods       Included at each meal – and
                                                       2. Fruit and              some snacks
●● assessment against the principles of healthy        vegetables
   eating using the number of daily servings and       3. Milk, cheese and       Included at each meal – and
   portion sizes of the five food groups               yogurt                    some snacks
                                                       4. Meat, fish, eggs,      3 servings per day
●● computer software to compare the dietary            nuts and beans
   intake of energy and each nutrient against          5. Foods high in fat      2–3 servings per day
   the  RNIs for each nutrient and EAR for             and foods high in
   energy.                                             sugar                     Very small amounts with
                                                                                 meals
Assessing nutritional                                  Drinks                    Sweet foods limited to
adequacy using the five                                                          4 times per day
food groups                                            Vitamin                   6–8 per day or 1 with each
                                                       supplements               meal and snack
This assessment method is simple and older                                       Vitamins A and D daily for
children and parents can be taught to do it                                      those under five years of age
themselves. If the number of servings from the
five food groups (as described in Table 1.2.1,         A chart such as in Figure 2.2.2 can be used for the
pages 14–15) is followed then the child can be         assessment of foods from a record of a 24-hour
assumed to be consuming an adequate intake of          intake. All the food and drinks consumed over a
nutrients.                                             24-hour period are listed in the left-hand column.
                                                       A mark is made in the food group columns when a

Date:                  Name :          Fruit & veg     Food groups  Meat, fish,  Foods high in      Fluid
  All food and drinks  Bread, rice,                      Milk,      eggs, nuts,  fat &/or sugar  Drinks
                       potato, pasta,                    cheese,    pulses
                       other starchy                     yogurt
                       food

TOTALS :                     3–5              5        3            2–3 Some high-fat 6–8 cups
RECOMMENDED :          At each meal       At each                                foods
                                         meal and
                         and some      some snacks
                           snacks

Figure 2.2.2  Food chart for 24-hour intake
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