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We examined food combinations in relation to the quality of the overall diet and individual meals using a newly developed food combination questionnaire (FCQ) in a nationwide sample of Japanese adults aged 19&ndash, 80 years (n = 2233). The quality of the overall diet and of each meal was assessed by the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) and Nutrient-Rich Food Index 9.3 (NRF9.3). For all main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), the most commonly consumed food combinations consisted of &lsquo, rice, total vegetables, and tea and coffee&rsquo, Consistently positive associations between these food combinations and diet quality were found for breakfast (Spearman r: &ge, 0.46). Positive rather weak associations between these food combinations and diet quality were also observed for lunch (Spearman r: &le, 0.48). Conversely, the associations were inconsistent for dinner: inverse associations with HEI-2015 (Spearman r: &le, &minus, 0.35) and generally weak positive associations with NRF9.3 (Spearman r: &ge, 0.09). For snacks, the most commonly consumed food combinations consisted of &lsquo, confectioneries and tea and coffee&rsquo, but these showed rather weak associations with diet quality. Similar results were obtained when associations with the quality of overall diet were investigated. The FCQ may be useful in capturing the complex nature of food combinations in Japanese adults.

Breakfast consumption is associated with higher overall dietary adequacy, however, there is a lack of quantitative guidelines for optimal nutrient intakes at breakfast in the UK. This study aimed to investigate nutrient and food group intakes at breakfast and examine their relationship to overall Diet Quality (DQ). Data from the most recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS, 2008&ndash, 2014) were accessed to provide a representative sample (n = 8174) of the UK population, aged 5&ndash, 96 years, mean age of 33 years. Food intake was measured by a 4-day estimated food diary and DQ was assessed by the Nutrient Rich Food Index 9.3 method. Energy- and socio-economic-adjusted nutrient and food group intakes were compared across age groups and DQ tertiles by ANCOVA. Breakfast contributed 20&ndash, 22% to total energy intake. Breakfast intakes of carbohydrate and non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) were higher, and intakes of protein, total fat and saturated fatty acid (SFA) were lower, than relative daily intakes. Breakfast was particularly rich in B vitamins, vitamin D, calcium, iron, iodine and magnesium. From the lowest to the highest DQ tertile decreasing intakes of NMES, SFA and total fat and increasing intakes of carbohydrate, protein, fibre and most micronutrients were found. These findings could help to inform the development of nutrient-based recommendations for a balanced breakfast for the first time in the UK.