Abstract
In the present study, we defined staple grain foods (except for pastries), soups, protein-rich main dishes, and vegetable side dishes served at breakfast, lunch, and supper as meal foods, and other miscellaneous items as discretionary foods. We investigated the consumption of discretionary foods among female students and their mothers. We observed that discretionary foods accounted for 20.1% and 26.9% of the total daily energy intake of the examined students and their mothers, respectively. Moreover, we found that as the subjects' age increased, discretionary foods were more frequently consumed at meal times rather than at other times, and the increased consumption of such foods had a negative impact on their overall food intake or dietary balance. Based on these findings, we recommend that middle-aged women should ‘reduce the frequency of discretionary foods from four to three times per day’, and that, because of their tendency to use more salt, sugar, and other seasonings in their food, those who consume sweetened discretionary foods prior to meal preparation need to rinse their mouths before seasoning foods.
