Over 60% of children in Sri Lanka below daily recommended energy intake levels.

March 2023, Colombo, A recent study commissioned to identify the nutritional status of school going children, has revealed that over 60% of the children surveyed, were well below Sri Lankan Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) recommended energy. Initiated by Upfield, the project was supported by an external consultant for its design, process, and analysis and by the research agency Peppercube Sri Lanka, for field research and data consolidation. Its focus was to accurately ascertain the nutritional intakes of school going children. Once complete, the aim was to share the findings with health care professionals and parents and generate much needed general awareness on the topic. The study could also help parents to better understand the importance of an adequate diet as they raise strong and healthy children.

Designed as a cross-sectional dietary intake study, the research focused on over 700 children of multiple age categories ranging from six to 14 years, and their moms. It was intent on identifying a real picture of the status of nutritional intakes in Sri Lanka among school children. Conducted through a 24-hour dietary recall and food frequency questionnaire, the research included respondents across five main provinces and nine main districts in Sri Lanka. The information gathered was then compared against the Sri Lankan Dietary Reference Intake (DRIs) and a selection of other relevant Intake References for children. The study intended to identify children’s daily breakfast frequency and nutrient and food group intake. It was also aimed at ascertaining meal patterns and key nutrient gaps in their diets.

The need to create a good environment that enables nutritious food security is not something new to Upfield. Presenting itself through global legacy brands such as Blue Band (in Sri Lanka called Astra), Upfield has always been rooted in its Social Mission and global purpose of nurturing the healthy growth and development of children across the globe. This continued commitment to improve the nutritional status of children, by making a nutritious breakfast an everyday reality for every child, therefore, it is core to Astra in Sri Lanka as well.

MAIN FINDINGS OF THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED

The study revealed an inadequate energy and nutrient intake in children, with a probability of a likely trend of the triple burden of malnutrition, indicating a co-existence of overnutrition, undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. The data also generated insights on children’s current breakfast patterns, which are predominantly rice based, heavy in carbohydrates and limited in those foods that provide essential nutrients such as vegetables and fruits.

Another significant finding uncovered, was that over 60% of the children were found to consume below recommended energy intake levels specific to their age groups. This led the research team to arrive at a possible conclusion that the children surveyed were not eating sufficiently nutritious food for the day, to provide their daily energy requirement.

Another alarming set of statistics raised through the study was the extremely low intake levels of essential unsaturated fats including Omega 3&6 in over 80% of the children, and the simultaneous overconsumption of saturated fat in 30-50% of the children in different age groups. Omega 3&6 fatty acids are nutrients that the human body is unable to produce independently; yet are essential for the normal growth and development of children and are therefore required to be obtained through foods we eat.

The study also revealed that over 85% of the children consumed inadequate levels of calcium, which is an important nutrient for healthy bone and muscle function. Further, over 60% of children interviewed did not meet the recommended intake levels of Vitamin D either, which is vital for bone growth and development.

Well over 80% of the children in the 10–14-year age group also had a less than desirable fibre consumption, which is essential for digestion and gut health.

Furthermore, for more than 80% of the children, Iron and Vitamin A were well below recommended levels as well. Iron, as we know, keeps blood healthy and Vitamin A for example helps maintain normal function of immunity.

The lack of Vitamin B12 was another red flag, with an excess of 75% of the children not meeting sufficient intake levels. Vitamin B12 is essential to maintain a healthily functioning central nervous system, producing red blood cells, and turning food consumed into energy.

Anne Linde Hagendoorn, Global Nutrition Specialist for Child Nutrition at Upfield Food Science Centre in Wageningen, the Netherlands, was directly involved with the commissioning of the research. Actively involved in Upfield’s Social Mission of making a nutritious breakfast an everyday reality for every child, she contributed to the study of exploring the dietary intake and breakfast patterns of children in the six-to-14-year age group. It is this endeavour that enabled the research to take place, as there was insufficient intake data of Sri Lankan school children available at the time of information gathering.

Two abstracts developed on this study conducted, were presented by Anne Linde Hagendoorn to the Sri Lanka Medical Nutrition Association, at their Annual Academic Sessions, and it was well received by its membership. During this time, she, together with the R&D manager for Upfield of Sri Lanka also conducted a lecture to students at the Wayamba University on fats, technology, and nutrition.

Anne Linde Hagendoorn went on to say, “Nutrition security among any age group is something we cannot afford to ignore. The war against nutrient deficiency can always be won, and it does not require a complicated work plan. The importance of nutrition-based education for parents cannot be underscored, as they nurture their child’s growth and development. Preparing a nutritious breakfast is not as difficult as we think it is, even in Sri Lanka, and we can do so by introducing available and nutritious alternatives in our children’s diets, which have a lifelong impact on their growth, development and ultimately, their success.”

SOME SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR A BALANCED DIET

• Increase fibre intake in your child’s diet by opting for whole grain foods like brown or red rice, and vegetables like beans, lentils, and fruits such as bananas.


• To provide good sources of calcium, choose milk and dairy foods or calcium-fortified foods like plant-based milks.  


• Include iron rich foods by adding vegetables such as spinach, pulses, and nuts, in addition to meat and fish to their diet.


• For children, around 20-35% of their energy intake should derive from fats, as it is an integral source of energy. It helps produce hormones, acts as an active agent to build bodily cells and is a carrier of vitamins A, D, E and K. As essential fats are not produced by the body, it needs to be included through a person’s diet. Luckily, in Sri Lanka, a significant contribution can be retrieved from a daily 20g portion of Astra Activ, which is fortified with vitamins to deliver on the nutrient requirements of children, and help parents provide a healthy and balanced breakfast that fits well into a child’s diet. 

Upfield is the largest plant base organization in the world. In line with its ESG agenda and working through its brands such as Blue Band and Astra, the aim has been to instill good breakfast habits among children the world over. At present, through this Social Mission, the company has reached over 23 million children across the globe, in just four years. The dietary intake study conducted in Sri Lanka, is one among the many initiatives adopted by the company to uplift and enhance the social standard of the next generation. Shouldering this responsibility with all the seriousness it deserves, Upfield will drive its Social Mission of nurturing good nutrition and promoting a healthy and balanced diet among children of all ages, and it will continue to provide vital support towards the growth and development of children globally.