Antioxidant-rich foods and nutritional value in daily kindergarten menu : a randomized controlled evaluation executed in Slovenia

Berlic, Maja (author), Jug, Urška (author), Battelino, Tadej (author), Levart, Alenka (author), Dimitrovska, Ivana (author), Albreht, Alen (author), Korošec, Mojca (author)

Little is known about Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) of daily kindergarten menus. The objective of the present study was to determine whether, antioxidant-enriched kindergarten menu had, compared to a standard one, more optimal proximate composition, energy value and higher antioxidant capacity free and bound dietary antioxidants. Antioxidant-enriched kindergarten meals, on average, contained significantly more vegetables, nuts, and whole grain foods (p < 0.05) and the average proximate composition and mineral content were more consistent with Dietary Reference Intake (DRIs). Additionally, in antioxidant-enriched vs standard daily meals, average TAC was 1369 mg vs 586 mg vitamin C equivalent (determined by 2’-azinobis-[3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid] radical scavenging capacity (ABTS) assay) and 1734 mg vs 810 mg vitamin C equivalent determined by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Our study shed light on free and bound antioxidants in daily kindergarten meals and highlighted that supplementing kindergarten meals with foods rich in antioxidants can significantly improve dietary intakes.

• Language: English
• Keywords: free dietary antioxidants, bound dietary antioxidants, proximate composition, kindergarten nutrition, antioxidant capacity
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty; MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 11 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 404, pt. A, art. 134566
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-142721
• UDC: 613.2-053.2:641.1
• ISSN on article: 0308-8146
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134566
• COBISS.SI-ID: 125619971
• Publication date in RUL: 22.11.2022

BERLIC, Maja, JUG, Urška, BATTELINO, Tadej, LEVART, Alenka, DIMITROVSKA, Ivana, ALBREHT, Alen and KOROŠEC, Mojca, 2023, Antioxidant-rich foods and nutritional value in daily kindergarten menu : a randomized controlled evaluation executed in Slovenia. Food chemistry [online]. 2023. Vol. 404, no. pt. A,  134566. [Accessed 5 April 2025]. DOI 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134566. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=142721

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Food chemistry
• Shortened title: Food chem.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0308-8146
• COBISS.SI-ID: 6385415

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: prehrana otrok, predšolski otroci, vrtec, dnevni obroki, antioksidanti