(19-12-10) The impact of salt, fat and sugar levels on toddler food intake.

Bouhlal S, Issanchou S, Nicklaus S.

Centre des Sciences du Go?t et de l'Alimentation, UMR6265 CNRS, UMR1324 INRA,
Universit? de Bourgogne, Agrosup Dijon, F-21000 Dijon, France.
Abstract
Understanding the early determinants of food intake, in particular the role of
food sensory quality, is a necessary step to improve the prevention of
unhealthy food habits. However, the extent to which food intake varies
according to salt, fat and sugar content is imperfectly known. The present
study aimed at evaluating whether toddler food intake varied during lunches or
snacks in which salt, fat or sugar contents had been modified in common foods.
Seventy-four children (30 (se 0?5) months old) participated in the study in
their usual day-care centres. Every other week, they were served lunches
composed, among other items, of green beans and pasta with varying salt (0, 0?6
and 1?2 % added salt) or fat (0, 2?5 and 5 % added butter) levels and afternoon
snacks composed of fruit pur?e varying in sugar level (0, 5 and 10 % added
sugar). During each meal, children could eat as much as they wanted from the
target foods. Each food was weighed before and after the meal. Salt level had a
positive impact on the intake of the target foods. On the contrary, no impact
of added fat or added sugar levels was observed. This implies that fat and
sugar addition could be avoided in foods for children without having an impact
on palatability, allowing the energy density of children's diet to be limited.
Salt addition should be limited, but its suppression in vegetables, whose
intake is to be promoted, should be considered cautiously.

Source: Br J Nutr. 2010 Dec 7:1-8.

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