Public Health Nutrition: 12(11), 1999–2008 doi:10.1017/S136898000999084X Adherence to food-based dietary guidelines and evaluation of nutrient intake in 7-year-old children Asa Gudrun Kristjansdottir and Inga Thorsdottir* Unit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali-University Hospital and Faculty of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland Submitted 30 December 2008: Accepted 15 June 2009: First published online 6 August 2009 Abstract Objective: To evaluate the diet of 7-year-old children by comparison with food- based dietary guidelines (FBDG) and reference values for nutrient intake. Design: Food and nutrient intake was assessed by 3 d weighed dietary records of 7-year-olds in six randomly chosen schools in Reykjavik, Iceland. Height and weight were measured. The diet of 165 children (62 % of sample) was evaluated by the Icelandic FBDG and the Nordic reference values (NRV) for nutrient intake. Setting: Six randomly chosen schools in Reykjavik, Iceland. Results: The FBDG on fruits and vegetables was reached by less than 20 % of the children. A total of 52 % reached the FBDG to eat fish twice a week and 41 % to use vitamin D supplement. The FBDG on dairy was reached by 66 % of the children. Mean intake of SFA gave 13?9 % of the total energy intake (E%), which is higher than the NRV, 9?3E% of MUFA and 3?8E% of PUFA, both lower than the NRV (for all differences P , 0?001). Added sugar gave 12?1E%, which exceeds the upper level (P , 0?001). Fibre intake was 2?1 g/MJ and lower than the NRV (P , 0?001). Mean intake of micronutrients was above the recommended intake (RI), except for iodine, 109?0 mg/d, and vitamin D, 6?1 mg/d, which was lower than the RI (P 5 0?006 and P , 0?001, respectively). Conclusions: Fruit, vegetable, fish and dairy, as well as vitamin D supplement, need to be increased in the diet of 7-year-old children to reach the FBDG and the reference values for nutrient intake. Dietary changes to increase the quality of fat and carbohydrate are needed as well. Keywords Schoolchildren Food-based dietary guidelines Nutrient intake Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) are promoted worldwide as an important part of national food and nutrition policies (1) . Effective implementation of FBDG is needed to contribute to halting the current non-commu- nicable disease epidemic, such as CVD and obesity (2) . The prevalence of obesity in childhood has increased worldwide in recent decades (3–6) along with changes in food availability and dietary habits, which also seem to have resulted in diminishing differences in food habits between European countries (7) . The Nordic countries have collaborated for several decades in setting reference values for nutrient intake, which constitute a scientific basis for the FBDG (8) . The recom- mended intake (RI) of vitamin D in Iceland is higher than in the other Nordic countries, which is based on the risk of vitamin D deficiency because of the latitude of the country (8–10) . Traditionally, vitamin D is supplemented in the form of fish-liver oil, which is also rich in long-chain n-3 fatty acids. Some of the characteristics of the Icelandic diet have changed in recent decades. Studies from the Unit for Nutrition Research on diet in childhood have shown that traditionally high fish consumption has decreased; the intake of vitamin D is low, and dairy consumption has decreased as well (11,12) . Fruit and vegetable intake is low in Iceland; the intake was lowest in Iceland of the nine European countries participating in the Pro Children cross-sectional study (13) . Few studies have focused, at an individual level, on analysing compliance with FBDG, along with evaluation of nutrient intake by comparison with reference values (14) . Dietary habits form during the early school years (15) , and healthy food habits acquired in childhood tend to continue into adulthood (16) . It is therefore important to know how well the dietary habits of children meet the FBDG and the reference values for nutrient intake. The schools are excellent arenas for reaching a large segment of the population and therefore provide an important opportunity to evaluate children’s food habits. The objective of the present school-based study was to evaluate the diet of 7-year-old children by comparison with FBDG and reference values for nutrient intake. *Corresponding author: Email ingathor@landspitali.is r The Authors 2009