The influence of cereal and dairy consumption on the Irish diet: implications for developing food-based dietary guidelines.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the intakes of cereal and dairy products and their contribution to nutrient intakes in men and women from the Republic of Ireland with a view to formulating food-based dietary guidelines.


METHODS
The North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey established a database of habitual food and drink consumption using a 7-day food diary. From this database all cereal and dairy products from recipes and identifiable sources were identified and a new database was generated from which analysis of the role of cereal and dairy products in the diet was carried out.


RESULTS
Almost 100% of the population consumed cereal and dairy products over the course of the survey week. In general, men consumed significantly more cereal and dairy products than did women (P<0.05). Cereal products made an important contribution to the mean daily intakes of energy (26%), protein (21%), fat (13%), carbohydrate (41%), fibre (45%), iron (43%) and folate (27%). Dairy products also contributed largely to the mean daily intakes of energy (11%), protein (14%), fat (17%), calcium (48%), phosphorus (24%) and vitamin A (27%). Analysis of nutrient intakes across tertiles of cereal and dairy consumption showed that high consumers of wholemeal bread, breakfast cereals, reduced-fat milk and yoghurt had lower fat and higher carbohydrate, fibre and micronutrient intakes than low consumers of these foods.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings from the present study could be used to develop effective health strategies to implement changes in cereal and dairy consumption that could alter fat, fibre and micronutrient intakes in the diet.
Burke
S J
SJ
Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland. burkesj@tcd.ie
Gibney
M J
MJ
O'Dwyer
N A
NA
McCarthy
S N
SN
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003611:Dairy Products; D015930:Diet Records; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000032:analysis; D002523:Edible Grain; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients; D008875:Middle Aged; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D018977:Micronutrients