Determinación de la calidad nutricional de los menús expendidos en los comedores de la Universidad de Cuenca

Abstract

The present degree work is an exploratory study in which the nutritional composition (macronutrients and salt) of the most frequent foods consumed and sold in the bars of the Central Campus of the University of Cuenca was analyzed. Representative samples of ten foods were taken: white rice, grilled cutlet, Cuban sandwich, grain salad, lettuce and tomato salad, coconut juice, blackberry juice, fried maduro, seco de carne and seco de pollo, which were previously selected through the application of surveys to the owners of the bars of the Central Campus. Total protein, total carbohydrates, total lipids, moisture, ash and salt content (chlorides) were determined in each sample following reference methodologies. The analyses were performed in triplicate and the results were presented as average values. From the macronutrient content, the caloric content of the food was calculated and expressed as the contribution to the recommended daily intake. Thus, the grilled cutlet was the food with the highest protein and fat content, while the fried maduro stood out for its high carbohydrate content compared to the remaining foods. The analysis of the Cuban sandwich as a composite menu showed that it had a high carbohydrate and energy content. The sodium content of foods does not exceed the recommended daily intake; however, it should be considered that a lunch is the result of the combination of several foods with different sodium content. In addition, healthy eating recommendations were generated for students through visual aids such as infographics. The purpose of this degree work is to provide the consumers of the university community with orienting information on food alternatives.