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Background/aims: The Food Consumption Survey, conducted for over 20 years by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA), is the most reliable source of data to evaluate the food consumption and dietary patterns of Spain. The aim of the present article was to review the diet trends in Spain and its evolution. Food availability assessment per capita per day, which allows the calculation of energy and nutrient intake and comparison with the Recommended Nutrient Intakes for the Spanish population is described. In addition, different markers of the quality of the diet have been also evaluated., Methods: The sample consisted of consumption and distribution data, obtained from the nationwide representative Food Consumption Survey for the period 2000- 2012. A two-stage sampling method was applied, where in the first stage the units to be sampled were towns or local entities, and in the second stage households which were going to be part of the final sample from those entities were selected. Units consisted of towns or local entities in the national territory. The data allowed the calculation of energy and nutrient intakes, using the Food Composition Tables (Moreiras et al, 2013). The quality of the diet was also evaluated: the adequacy of the diet in meeting the recommended intakes for energy and nutrients; energy profile; dietary fat quality; dietary protein quality; nutrient density; Mediterranean diet adequacy indices. The present data were compared with previous data obtained by our research group in 1964, 1981 and 1991., Results: Using the most recent data, average intake comprised: milk and derivatives (356 g/person/day), fruits (323 g/person/day), vegetables and greens (339 g/ person/day), cereals and derivatives (197 g/person/day), meat and meat products (181 g/day), fish (88,6 g/person/ day), oils and fats (41,6 g/person/day), sugar and derivatives (25,6 g/person/day), eggs (27,1 g/person/day), legumes (13,9 g/person/day) . There was also a high consumption of non-alcoholic beverages (437 g/person/day) and decreasing for alcoholic beverages (192 g/person/day) compared to previous surveys. In consequence, meat and meat product consumption was higher than the recommendations, whereas for cereals and their derivatives, vegetables and greens, fruit, and legumes and pulses, consumption was below recommendations for the Spanish population (GRUNUMUR, 2004; SENC, 2007). Some staple and traditional Mediterranean foods (bread, potatoes and olive oil) showed a dramatic decline when compared to data from Household Budget Surveys in 1964 data. Energy intake showed a marked decline when compared to the 1960's mean consumption, and show marked differences for food groups contributors. Energy profile shows too much coming from lipids vs carbohydrates and slightly higher from proteins., Conclusion: Food consumption patterns in Spain and energy and nutrient intakes have changed markedly in the last forty years, differing somewhat at present from the traditional and healthy Mediterranean Diet., (Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.)

Some nutritional unbalances have been observed in menus served at dining rooms of schools from the Community of Madrid (CM): small portions, inter-day variations up to 50% of energy intake, unbalances in caloric and lipidic profiles, little variety, lack of parental information, etc. The Education Council of the CM considered necessary to plan and regulate the basic conditions that menus of these dinning rooms should meet. The Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN) and the Nutrition Department of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) were put in charge of elaborating the bases to develop the Regulation (BOCM 24-05-01, 10-09-02). Collective catering companies were called for a tender to provide menus adapted to such Regulation. This work describes the adaptation of programmed dietary schemes of officially approved companies and mainly the impact on energy and nutritional content of menus and their adaptation to the recommended caloric and lipidic profiles. So far, a random sample of 171 schools with dining rooms (more than 37,000 schoolboys) has been visited by nutritionists, with no previous announcement, to control served menus. For this, at each centre a duplicate of the portion served that day was gathered. The energy and nutrient content was determined and the fatty acid composition was analysed. The adaptation to the Regulation by catering companies has substantially improved the menus as compared to previous times: more presence of vegetables, better quality of fat and less amount of fat and proteins at the expense of carbohydrates.