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Table 1 Summary of recommendations used and description of food groups

From: Self-perception of dietary quality and adherence to food groups dietary recommendations among Mexican adults

Food group

Mexican Dietary Guidelines (MDG)

Recommendation used

Food group description

Fruits and vegetables

6 servings for a 2000-kcal/d (about ≥400 g/d)

≥400 g/d

(World Health Organization)

Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruit and vegetables, including 100% fruit juices, not including potatoes or avocado.

Legumes

2 servings/d for a 2000-kcal/d

≥2 servings/d

(MDG, one serving is 120 kcal or ~ 125 mL of cooked legumes)

Beans, lentils, chickpeas

Seafood

 

Eat frequently

≥35 g/d

(American Heart Association)

Fish and shellfish

Red meat

Limit to < 70 g/d

< 70 g/d

(World Cancer Research Fund; grams are of cooked weight)

Beef, pork, lamb, and goat, including that contained in processed meat

Processed meats

Consume the least possible

< 8.6 g/d

(American Heart Association)

Meat preserved by smoking, curing, or salting or the addition of chemical preservatives (sausage, ham, dried meat)

SSBs

Limit the intake of foods and beverages with high content of sugar, salt, and fat.

Added sugars should not exceed 10% of total energy intake

< 60 kcal/d

(American Heart Association)

Non–milk-based caloric beverages: industrialized (soft drinks, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices/nectars), home-made [coffee/tea with sugar, “agua fresca” (home-made fruit drink)]

HSFAS products

< 200 kcal/d

(author’s own estimation of allowable intake to comply with < 10% of added sugar and saturated fat World Health Organization recommendation)

Baked goods (cookies, granola bars, pastries), breakfast cereals, salty snacks (potato chips, tortilla/corn chips, cracker nuts, cheese puffs), candies (chocolate, chewing gum, desserts (ice-cream, gelatin, pudding, ice pop), sugar and sweeteners (white/brown sugar, honey, syrup, chocolate powder) with > 13% of saturated fat and/or > 13% of added sugar.

Dietary indices

Description

Mexican Diet Quality Index (MxDQI)

Minimum and maximum points for each component (total range 0–100): Vegetables 0 (0 servings) to 10 (≥ 3 servings); whole fruit 0 (0 servings) to 10 (≥ 3 servings); whole grains 0 (0 servings) to 5 (≥ 3 servings); legumes 0 (0 servings) to 10 (≥ 2 servings); seafood, poultry or eggs 0 (< 1 serving) to 5 (≥ 2 servings); low-fat dairy 0 (0 servings) to 5 (≥ 3.5 servings); polyunsaturated fat 0 (< 6% of total energy intake) to 5 (> 10% of total energy intake); 100% fruit juice 0 (> 250 ml) to 5 (≤125 ml); refined grains 0 (> 3 servings) to 5 (≤1 servings); red and processed meats 0 (> 1.5 servings) to 5 (≤0.5 servings); added sugars 0 (> 10% of total energy intake) to 15 (< 5% of total energy intake); sodium 0 (> 2 g) to 15 (≤1.5 g); saturated fat 0 (> 10% of total energy intake) to (< 7% total energy intake) points. Servings, ml, and g are per 2000 kcal.

Index of total food group’s recommendation met

For the main 7 food groups (fruits and vegetables, legumes, seafood, red meats, processed meat, SSBs, and HSFAS products), one point for each recommendation met; the range of possible points is 0—7.

  1. HSFAS high saturated fat and/or added sugar; SSBs sugar-sweetened beverages