Snacking Patterns of Filipino Children: Frequency and Contribution to Energy and Dietary Intakes

Abstract

Snacking can be defined as eating outside the three main meals in a day, regardless of the amount or type of foods consumed. Snacking patterns vary between developing and developed countries, and across nations around the globe. Utilizing data from the Philippine ENNS collected in 2018 and 2019, the authors were able to determine the distribution and frequency of snacking among Filipino children, the type of snack foods consumed, and the contribution of snack foods to their energy and dietary intakes. Results revealed that around 70% of Filipino children consume snacks once a day, usually as afternoon snacks.Moreover, consumption of snack foods decreases as the age of children increases. The snack foods frequently consumed are pastries and cookies, bread, crackers, and biscuits, along with sugar-sweetened beverages – with an average energy intake of 300.0 kcal from snack foods. Snack foods contributed 31.2% of the total daily energy intake for Filipino children aged 3–5 yr old, 25.1% in 6–9 yr old, and 21.6% in 10–12 yr old. The nutrient content of the snack foods ranged from 29.5–46.7 g protein, 295.4–347.8 mcg RE vitamin A, 5.4–7.7 mg iron, and 272.3–381.7 mg calcium. More than half of Filipino children consumed snack foods at least once a day, with a higher proportion of snackers meeting the recommended energy intakes and estimated average requirements than non-snackers. However, the promotion of healthy snack choices such as fruits and vegetables and other nutrient-dense foods needs to be strengthened. Findings support the need to develop guidance on healthy snacking among Filipino children and represent a key target for food and nutrition policies to improve the dietary quality of snacks in this population.