Salt and fat contents in preparations at commercial restaurants in Goiânia-GO

• Main Authors: Camila Silva Kunert, Mariana Patrício de Morais, Ana Clara Martins e Silva Carvalho
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Universidade de Fortaleza 2013-03-01
• Series: Revista Brasileira em Promoção da Saúde
• Subjects: Sodium Chloride; Dietary; Sodium; Vegetable Fats; Restaurants.
• Online Access: http://www.unifor.br/images/pdfs/rbps/2013.1_artigo2.pdf

Objective: To evaluate the sodium and fat contents added to preparations of commercial restaurants in Goiânia-GO, Brazil. Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional and descriptive study. It included ‘pay-per-weight’ restaurants with a medium standard menu and having as daily preparations white rice, beans and grilled chicken. Among the establishments with these characteristics, three agreed to participate. The production process of the above-mentioned preparations was accompanied for three non-consecutive days in each establishment. For quantification of sodium and fat added into the preparations, oil and salt were weighed, as well as the finished preparation; the weight of the standard portion and the yield of the preparation expressed in number of portions prepared were settled. From these data, the per capita amount of salt and oil added to cook one portion of each kind of preparation was calculated by dividing the total quantity of salt and oil by the number of prepared portions. Results: The levels of salt (3.0, 2.7, and 4.1 g – restaurant A, B and C, respectively) and oil (17.0, 11.3, and 11.2 g – restaurant A, B and C, respectively) added in the three preparations are superior to the recommendations. Conclusion: The sodium and fat contents in the analyzed restaurants are higher than it is recommended by the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population. It is essential that commercial restaurants become partners of public policies on health promotion, adopting good nutritional practices, by reducing the sodium and fat contents, to offer healthy meals daily.