Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Magister Technologiae: Food and Nutrition, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / There is lack of data on the dietary intake and patterns of Lindelani adolescents, which necessitates comprehensive nutritional assessment. Objectives: The objectives were to investigate the dietary intake and nutritional analysis of lunchbox contents of high school girls (13 -18 years of age) in Lindelani and evaluate its contribution to their dietary intake. Methodology: The study was of a descriptive nature with an analytical component, a convenience sample of 61 learners who brought lunchboxes from home and completed a socio- demographic questionnaire, QFFQ and two 24- hour recall questionnaire used for evaluation of their dietary intake. Anthropometric measurements, including body composition, were performed. Anthropometric data were captured on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and displayed on WHO growth charts to determine stunting, wasting, underweight and over-weight. . Lunchboxes were required and collected without informing participants to avoid bias, each lunch box was weighed and the content recorded and analysed using Food Finder 3 computer software program. It was analysed by selecting the mean intake of the group and comparing it to the Daily Recommended Intake (DRIs) for this group of individuals. Results: The results indicated that the food group most commonly consumed was carbohydrates. The lunchbox mean energy content was 90.14 kJ (>100% of DRIs) which is a big portion for a lunchbox since there are other meals of the day to be eaten too. The mean intake of fruit portion consumed was 135g which was only consumed by 1% in the top 20 food items compared to 141.82g consumed by 18% in 24- hour recall. Bread, margarine and polony were commonly consumed in QFFQ, Lunchboxes and 24- hour recall. Fat consumption for lunchboxes was 34.04% higher than the WHO nutrient intake goal which put these teenagers at risk of overweight. Fruit and vegetable intake was 106.95g (QFFQ), 107.27g (24-hour recall) and 109.49g (mean lunchbox content). This indicates poor intake of fruit and vegetables, being far lower than WHO recommendation of 400g per day. Dietary fibre was also found below 25g. Conclusion: Although the group seemed to consume all the nutrients but it is a small sample of the population. The study indicated that the majority of the respondents consume mostly IVcarbohydrate diets and the lunchboxes did not meet the basic requirements of a balanced diet. The lunchboxes contributed on average one third of the girl’s daily food intake.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Applied Science in Food and Nutrition, Durban University of Technology, 2015. / Objective: To determine the contribution of packed school lunches to the daily food intake of girls and boys in two Primary Schools in East London. Methods: The study was conducted among 199 girls and boys aged 9-13 years. Three 24-Hour recalls and a Food Frequency Questionnaire were completed during an interview with the participants to gather data on dietary patterns over a period of three consecutive days. Additionally, the contents of one lunch box per participant were recorded and weighed. Anthropometrics and socio-demographics were also completed during the interview. Results: The three 24-Hour Recall nutrient measurements revealed a low energy intake in 91 percent for the girls and 77 percent for the boys who were consuming below the recommended Estimated Energy Requirement for energy. The lunchboxes contributed one-third of the daily nutrient intake of the children. The 24-Hour recall revealed an energy-dense, carbohydrate-based diet. The contribution of total fat (30-32%) to the total energy is higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of 15-30 percent. The daily fruit and vegetable intake (215.1g and 216.9g), according to the 24-Hour recall and lunchbox analysis respectively, was insufficient compared to the WHO-recommendation of >400g /day. Although the mean intake of most of the nutrients was sufficient, a large number of the participants did not meet requirements for the age group. The risk of overweight was high (24% for girls and 29.2% for boys) with 1.5 percent falling into the obese category. Conclusion: The results of the study indicated a high-fat and carbohydrate intake and a very low fruit and vegetable intake. The girl participants had better food choices for the lunchboxes but the majority of the participant’s daily intake did not meet the basic requirements of a balanced diet. The risk of overweight in the age category is an increasing problem among low- and high-income countries. Nutritional education should concentrate on healthy food choices in school lunchboxes as a large part of the day is spent at school.