Abstract

Objective: To analyze the presence of processed foods in the lunch boxes of children in a private school. 

Materials and methods: The sample consisted of 105 school lunch boxes from 05 children. The quantitative analysis of the presence of processed foods in the lunch boxes and the food purchased in the school canteen was carried out. Analyzes were also performed in order to identify the food groups where (A)=in natura or minimally processed, (B)=processed and (C)=ultraprocessed, as to the frequency in which these foods were present in the research. 

Results: It was observed that both groups A, B and C were present in the lunchboxes, but the group (A)=ultra-processed obtained a higher index of (57.11%), especially the biscuits. The group that presented least in the sample were the group (B) of the processed (11.72%), for those bought in the canteen observed that although the juice was the most consumed by the children the choice of salted was also great, showing that the preference Children's food is still inadequate, the ideal would be a home-prepared parent's snack with healthier options. 

Conclusion: The study concludes that the snacks present in schoolchildren's lunchboxes are inadequate due to the high consumption of processed foods, specifically the ultra-processed ones, the sample also showed that the few children who bought the snacks in the school canteen opted for worthless foods Nutritional, demonstrating inadequacies that alert the need to implement nutritional education programs in schools to contribute to improvements in school feeding.

Keywords

preschoolers, eating habits, snacks, chronic diseases , low-nutritional foods, excess of calories, nutritional value, eating habits, texture and color of food, vitamins and minerals, overweight, reverse nutritional problems, cafeteria, lowest percentage, nutritional education, ultra-processed foods, consumption of foods