Objectives: To evaluate food consumption and identify the main food sources of energy and nutrient intake in the Canary Island population (1997-98).
Design: Cross-sectional epidemiological study.
Methods: A dietary survey was realised in a representative sample of the Canary Island population (n = 1747; 821 men and 926 women) aged 6 to 75 years. The dietary survey technique utilised consisted of two 24-hour recalls over nonconsecutive days. Spanish Food Composition Tables were used as references.
Results: Food composition in the Canary Islands is characterised by typical Canary Island eating patterns, which have lost some of their Central American characteristics and have acquired clearly Mediterranean elements. As such, an acceptable intake of milk was noted (301 g/day) with highly elevated dairy product consumption (71 g/day), high intake of potatoes (143 g/day), moderate meat (red meat 46 g/day) and fish (46 g/day) consumption and low cereal (125 g/day) and legume (27 g/day) intakes. Nut consumption was observed to be fairly low (2 g/day), and average fruit intake (218 g/day) and low vegetable consumption (108 g/day) were also noted, the later being the lowest intake detected in Spain. It is also worth noting the elevated consumption of sweets (49 g/day). An inverse relationship was detected between social class and consumption of potatoes and pulses, and a direct one between vegetables, sausages and cheese. The main sources of energy were cereals and dairy products (21.2% and 18.4%, respectively), as well as the principal sources of saturated fats (5.8% and 28.1%), calcium (6.6% and 67.8%), sodium (27.5% and 18.8%) and riboflavin (6.6% and 41.2%).