Abstract:
Background: University students are a vulnerable group as it relates to nutrition; their family eating habits no not influence them when it comes to making eating choices. Their eating habits are guided by criteria such as fast access to food and low prices resulting in an unhealthy diet that becomes a risk factor for non-communicable chronic diseases. Methods: The purpose of this observational, cross-sectional descriptive study is to analyze the nutritional quality of food consumed by students in the cafeterias of a private university. This study details the nutritional quality, including saturated fat, trans fat, simple sugars, glycemic index and glycemic load values in foods most frequently eaten by university students in the university restaurants. A food frequency questionnaire was distributed to 208 students, 32 initially and 176 former scholarships, 9% of them were male and 91% female students; additionally, the reference values of the nutritional labeling of the products, the glycemic index table of American Diabetes Association, the food composition table to estimate nutrient intake in Ecuador and an analysis of direct nutritional composition of some foods were used as instruments and sources of information. Results: The results show a consumption pattern of processed foods that are high in saturated fat; in three of these foods the glycemic index is high as well as their glycemic load, and their high consumption could constitute a risk factor for Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases; only one of the pattern foods has in its composition mainly protein, low in carbohydrates and fats. Conclusions: Based on the consumption of processed foods that are high in saturated fat and have a high glycemic load, university students have unhealthy eating habits.