Dr. Sandra Sumalla, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO) and Iñaki Elío, academic director of the degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics collaborate in the “Libro Blanco sobre Meriendas Infantiles 2023” (White Paper on Children’s Snacks 2023), a comprehensive research promoted by the Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Yogur y Postres Lácteos Frescos (Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Yogurt and Fresh Dairy Desserts, AEFY).
The paper, led by Dr. Ramón de Cangas and carried out by the team of dieticians-nutritionists formed by Fernando Rojo Fernández, Iñaki Elío Pascual, Sandra Sumalla-Cano, and Luján Soler has highlighted worrying trends in the snacking habits of the child population. The results have shown that children’s snacks are characterized by a high caloric content and low nutritional quality, which can affect their health during childhood and have an impact in adulthood.
The study has shown that only 7.3% of children between 3 and 6 years of age eat fruit and yogurt, one of the healthiest combinations for snacking, while 80% of children under 12 years of age snack at least once a week. The most common snacks in children older than 7 years include milk and cookies (12.5%), sandwich and juice (8.9%), and milk and pastries (8.8%).
The “White Paper” has also highlighted the important role of yogurt consumption in the diet of young children. It is a dairy product that is consumed in 22.6% of these meals and is associated with a higher quality of life. Yogurt not only contributes to the total energy value of the diet but also provides calcium and vitamin D, essential for bone and metabolic health, and it contains lactic acid bacteria that aid in the digestion of the food.
Similarly, it has related the presence of childhood obesity to the socioeconomic level of families, revealing a higher incidence of obesity in children from lower-income family environments.
The “Libro Blanco sobre Meriendas Infantiles 2023” has emerged from academic research in which 176 national and international studies and scientific articles have been consulted and has drawn attention to the need to promote healthier and more nutritious snacks for children in this age group.
This academic research work by the team, including Dr. Sandra Sumalla and Dr. Iñaki Elío, has added a valuable contribution to the understanding of this problem and the need to promote corrective measures to improve the quality of children’s snacks.
You can read the complete document at: “Libro Blanco sobre Meriendas Infantiles 2023.”