The dietary fiber and micronutrient composition of traditional foods from Lebanon and their contribution to dietary adequacy: A call for action

Diet quality is a limiting factor to micronutrients sufficiency. The aim of this work is to evaluate, through chemical analysis, the dietary fibers and micronutrients content for vitamin A, D, E and C and their contributions to daily values in frequently consumed traditional dishes and Arabic sweets in Lebanon. Thirty types of traditional Lebanese dishes were collected from five central kitchens in the main Lebanese governorates and thirty-seven types of Arabic sweets were selected from popular confectionary stores. Among all the traditional dishes and Arabic sweets, 23% and 30% were considered good sources of dietary fibers, respectively. Vitamins A, D, E and C were found in trace levels in almost all traditional dishes and Arabic sweets.Micronutrients and dietary fibers are deficient in the Lebanese traditional dishes and Arabic sweets.