Macronutrient Composition of Popular Snacks Available at Food Outlets in Sri Lanka

Background: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for 75% of deaths in Sri Lanka. Most common causes for NCDs include poor diets and physical inactivity. The majority of snacks available in the food outlets are calorie-dense, thus lack of vitamins and minerals. Continued consumption of calorie-dense snacks may lead to certain NCDs. In Sri Lanka, only commercially packed foods provide information on the nutritional composition. However, foods available in sales outlets lack such nutritional information which is vital for health-conscious consumers.

Objectives: This study aimed at identifying the total energy and the macronutrient composition of popular snacks available for sale at food outlets in Sri Lanka.

Materials & Methods: Thirty (30) popular snacks were identified from 18 food outlets in Sri Lanka. The data on the recipes, raw ingredient weights and final cooked weight were collected. Energy and macronutrient compositions of one serving size of the snacks were analyzed using Food base 2000 software.

Results: The total energy supplied by one serving size of snacks ranges from 46 to 436 kcals. Mean calorie contribution by carbohydrate, protein and fat were 58.5%, 9.4% and 32.1%, respectively.

Conclusions: Most of the snacks available in the outlets were of high-calorie density and are based on carbohydrates providing more than the expected calorie contribution to the consumer.