Nutritional quality of menus offered in schools in Brazil and Japan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2025.84958Keywords:
Preschool. School Food. Menu Planning. Food Guides. Ultra-processed Foods. Food ConsumptionAbstract
Introduction: Japan, like Brazil, is facing the loss of its traditional dietary background due to the growing adoption of a Western diet in school menus, which can putmany children at nutritional risk. Objective: To compare the energy density, glycemic load, frequency of ultra-processed foods served, and description of food groups found in menus offered by a Japanese and Brazilian school. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative study using menus offered to preschoolers at a foreign school in Yamanashi-ken, Japan, and a private school in São Paulo, Brazil. Quantitative analysis was performed using the Diet Smart® software, version 12.1.2. Energy density, glycemic load, ultra-processed foods, and food groups were analyzed descriptively. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to test for normality of variables, and the Student's t-test was used for parametric variables and the Mann-Whitney test for non-parametric variables. Results: The Brazilian lunch menu had higher energy density and glycemic load as well as a greater presence of legumes, roots and tubers, fruits, eggs, and fish, while the Japanese menu had a greater presence of red meat and pork. The Brazilian afternoon snack menus had a higher energy density and a greater supply of roots and tubers, vegetables, red meat, and poultry. The Japanese menu, on the other hand, had a greater supply of cereals, eggs, and ultra-processed foods. Conclusions: Both menus contained ultra-processed foods and exceeded the recommended energy density.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Silvia Haruka Tsutsumi , Aline de Piano Ganen, Adriana Garcia Peloggia Castro
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