Background: Adequate nutrition is an essential factor conditioning physical and mental development of man, and poor nutrition can cause deterioration of health and occurrence of diseases related to diet. The fashion for slim body promoted in the media contributes to the youth's activities aiming to shape their bodies and, in particular, studying persons run the risk of nutritional deficiencies, which is also connected with irregular time of classes.
Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diet of 200 students (161 women and 39 men) in the second-year of Food Technology and Human Nutrition at the University of Rzeszow and to evaluate the extent to which nutritional standards for energy and essential nutrients in the daily food rations are kept.
Material and methods: The tests were carried out in the years 2010-2011. Intake assessment was made by the method of current listing of products and beverages consumed in the successive three days. Portion size was estimated by using the "Album of photographs of products and dishes." Using the "Tables of the nutritional value of food products and dishes," there was calculated the energy value, content of essential nutrients and cholesterol. The obtained results of the energy value were compared with the "Human Nutrition Standards" for women and men aged 19-30 years of moderate physical activity, and the nutritional value of analyzed diets was compared with standards of recommended dietary allowance (RDA).
Results: Diets of students (women and men) were significantly different (p = 0.01) in terms of energy content and nutritional value. Food rations for women and men were characterized by low energy value not corresponding to the recommendations of the Human Nutrition Standards. The energy value of diets of tested women students was 1568,56 kcal/day, while of men students 2283,22 kcal/day. Protein supply in daily food rations for women was 56,73 g and corresponded to the recommendations of the standards, while in the group of men it exceeded the standard at the recommended intake level and amounted to 89,32 g. Fat intake was consistent with the recommendations of the standards for both women and men and it was 59,67 g and 89,09 g respectively. The level of carbohydrate intake exceeded the standards at the level of recommended intake in daily food rations of women and men (213,14 g and 286,04 g). Average intake of cholesterol was 239,08 mg and 394,92 mg respectively. These values are close to the limit set by American Heart Association.
Conclusions: Daily food rations of students of the University of Rzeszow under the study were characterized by low energy value. In the analyzed daily food rations of women was found the protein content at the level of recommended intake whereas in the group of men these values exceeded the recommendations of standards. In both groups the fat intake was at the level of recommended intake and the carbohydrate content was at a higher level than the recommendations of standards.