title: Evaluating food menus from daycare centers in Guatemala City: descriptive and analytical approaches.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This objective of this study was a methodological analysis of the variety and diversity of dietary items and their different origins offered in institutional menus across four daycare centers serving low-income families in Guatemala City.
  
  
  METHODS
  Foods, as served in daycare centers, were used to explore and illustrate the different approaches to evaluating food quality. Foods served at daycare centers were analyzed for variety (number of different items) and diversity (using three food-classification systems). The weight and energy contributions for each meal were reported for animal, plant, mixed, or water; modern versus traditional foods; fortified versus non-fortified foods; and processed versus unprocessed foods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 5 d of observation, three of the four daycare centers served 100% of the food groups of the current Guatemalan and international classification systems. In addition, the results showed the four daycare centers provided mainly traditional and non-fortified plant-based foods. However, although the traditional foods contributed more by weight, the modern foods contributed more energy. These findings showed that the "modern" foods served at daycare centers are energy dense compared with traditional foods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These daycare centers contributed to variety and diversity while serving mainly traditional, plant-based foods. Our analysis went beyond the simple existence (mention) of a food as consumed to weight in grams or calories to provide potentially new and useful perspectives for understanding how guidelines for healthful eating patterns can be promoted and assessed, not only in children or in institutions but across all age groups, and settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Colleen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Doak
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hamelinck
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vossenaar
authors.forename: Bindiya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Panday
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Soto-Méndez
authors.forename: Maiza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campos Ponce
authors.forename: Noel W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Solomons
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005522:Food Services; D006166:Guatemala; D006801:Humans; D062407:Meals; D011203:Poverty; D012578:Schools, Nursery; D014505:Urban Population