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Composition and Nutritional Quality of the Diet in Spanish Households during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors :
Susana del Pozo de la Calle
Isabel Alonso Ledesma
Olivier Nuñez
Adela Castelló Pastor
Virginia Lope Carvajal
Nerea Fernández de Larrea Baz
Beatriz Pérez-Gómez
Marina Pollán
Emma Ruiz Moreno
Source :
Nutrients, Vol 13, Iss 5, p 1443 (2021)
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2021.

Abstract

In Spain, the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to the declaration of a state of alarm in the whole country in 2020; in this context, a nationwide lockdown was implemented, potentially altering the dietary habits of the population. The aims of this study were to describe the diet and its nutritional quality in Spanish households during the first COVID-19 epidemic wave and to compare them with the same period in 2019. Data on monthly foods and beverages household purchases in 2019 and 2020 were obtained from the nationwide Food Consumption Surveys. In April, there was an average increase, compared with 2019, of more than 40% for all food groups, with significant peaks in: alcoholic beverages (75%), appetizers (60%), eggs (59%), sugar and sweets (52%), and vegetables (50%). In March, the greatest peak was for pulses, with a 63% increment. The mean energy value of purchased foods in April was 2801 kcal/person/day, corresponding to an increase of 771 kcal/person/day (+38%), compared to the same month of 2019 (March and May: +520 kcal (+26%), June: +343 kcal (+18%)). Regarding nutrient density, there was a reduction in calcium, iodine, zinc, selenium, riboflavin, vitamins B12, D, A, especially retinol, and an increase in fibre, sodium, folic acid, carotenes and vitamin E. Alcohol content per 1000 kcal increased by more than 20% from April to July. Food purchase patterns in Spanish households changed during lockdown and after it, with no appreciable improvement in the quality of the diet.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20726643
Volume :
13
Issue :
5
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Nutrients
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.204add9f197143b6882fd0d9e932e3c3
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051443