Energy intake and dietary sources

The research 'Energy intake and dietary sources in the Spanish population: findings from the ANIBES study on energy balance in Spain', published in the scientific journal Nutrients , about the intake of food and beverages in Spain, has allowed to determine the percentages of intake that come from different groups and subgroups of food and beverages, as well as their peculiarities depending on the age and sex of the sample.

According to the data gathered in the ANIBES scientific study, whose field work was carried out over a three-month period, from September to November 2013, mean daily energy intake per day and per person in Spain is 1,810 ± 504 kcal/day (1,957 ± 531 kcal/day for men and 1,660 ± 427 for women) in the age groups between 9 and 75 years.

Cereals and grains [(27.4 %) (bread 11.6 %; bakery and pastry 6.8 %; grains and flours 4.5 %; pasta 3.6 % and breakfast cereals and cereal bars 1.0 %)], meat and meat products [(15.2 %) (meat 9.2 %; sausages and other meat products 5.8 % and viscera and offal 0.1 %)] and oils and fats [(12.3 %) (9.2 % olive oil; other oils 1.7 % and butter, margarine and shortenings 1.4 %)] are the food groups that most contribute to the daily intake.

Then, milk and dairy products are placed [(11.8 %) (milk 5.0 %; cheese 3.0 %; yogurt and fermented milk 2.4 % and other dairy products 1.5 %)], as well as fruits (4.7 %), ready-toeat meals (4.2 %), vegetables (4.0 %) and other non-alcoholic beverages [(3.9 %) (sugared soft drinks 2.0 %; juices and nectars 1.3 %; other non-alcoholic drinks 0.3 %; coffee and herbal teas 0.2 %; sports drinks 0.1 %; energy drinks 0 %; unsweetened soft drinks 0 % and water 0 %)]. Finally, fish and sellfish (3.6 %), sugars and sweets [(3.3 %) (chocolate 1.5 %; sugar 1.4 %; jams and other 0.3 % and other sweets 0.1 %)], alcoholic beverages [(2.6 %) (low alcohol content beverages 2.4 % and high alcohol content beverages 0,2 %)], pulses (2.2 %), eggs (2.2 %), sauces and condiments (1.6 %), appetizers (0.8 %) and supplements and meal replacements (0.1 %) are the groups of foods that are placed at the end of the list in the contribution to the total calories from the daily diet.

The ANIBES scientific study shows that the population in Spain currently has an unbalanced energy intake profile, being 16.8 % the percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids, 11.7 % of saturated fatty acids, 6.6 % of polyunsaturated fatty acids, corresponding 5.4 % to omega-6 fatty acids and 0.6 % to omega-3 fatty acids. The intake of proteins represents 16.8 % (above the recommended amount), that of fiber is 1.4% and alcohol is 1.9 % of the total daily energy intake of the population in the ANIBES study.

With respect to sugar consumption, according to the results of the ANIBES study, these ac- count for 17.0 % of the total daily energy intake. In this sense, the EFSA reference intake, which can be identified on food product labels, is 18.0 %, 90 g per day for an average of 2,000 kcal/day intake. Therefore, it would be placed in amounts similar to those recommended by the EFSA on average for the European population.

Learn all the data of the study 'Energy intake and dietary sources in the Spanish population: findings from the ANIBES study on energy balance in Spain’' by cohort and by sex.