Nutritional quality of meals served by the cafeteria of a company located in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Objective This study assessed the nutritional quality of meals served by the cafeteria of a company located in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo city Brazil. Methods Thirty percent of the dishes served during one year (242 days) by the said cafeteria were systematically selected and assessed by the Meal Quality Index in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization and Brazilian Ministry of Health. This index consists of five items with a maximum of 20 points each: content of non-starchy vegetables and fruits; carbohydrate content; total fat content; saturated fat content; and within-meal diversity Three-hundred sixty-seven meals grouped into 40 categories according to composition and preparation method were served during the study period. Spearman correlation was used to investigate a possible correlation between the index and nutrients in a meal. Analyses were done by the STATA software with the significance level set at 5%. Results The mean Meal Quality Index score was 64.60 points, with a standard deviation of 21.18. Forty-four percent of the meals were classified as needing improvement and only 25% were classified as appropriate. In addition to rice and beans which are served daily the most common preparations were legumes and fruits (30%), pasta and creams (12%), deep-fried foods (9%) and deserts with cream (8%). The Meal Quality Index correlated positively with vitamin C (r=0.32). Conclusion Although fruits and non-starchy vegetables were always available, the meals need improvement to meet healthy eating recommendations that effectively help to promote good health.