A study was carried out on a group of 153 students of both sexes, with an average age of 14.0 + 1.5 years, using a self-applied questionnaire, aiming to discover the feeding practices of adolescents. A qualitative analysis of the three main daily meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) in comparison with an established standard was made. It was found that 45% of the adolescents (44% boys and 56%, girls) took breakfast. Lunch was taken by 76% of the adolescents (36% boys and 64% girls). With regard to dinner, taken by 53% (40% boys and 60% girls), it was found to be constituted, basically, of the same foodstuffs and/or preparations of their lunch, though with a reduction in food sources of protein and iron, such as meat and beans, replace by food sources of protein and calcium (milk and its products), which leads to the conclusion that snacks are taking the place of dinner. The breakfast is the most neglected meal by the adolescents studied. It is necessary to control the consumption of food between the three meals, because this may be contributing in two ways: by increasing the consumption of the nutrients that may otherwise be insufficient or, on the other hand, by aggravating problems such as obesity, among others.
food habits; adolescence; students; nutrition surveys
