Um dos maiores problemas atuais da população é a deficiência de nutrientes. Estudos indicam que consumidores consideram o preço dos alimentos mais relevante do que os valores nutricionais. Assim, este trabalho objetivou comparar o custo dos nutrientes de alimentos típicos da dieta brasileira, realizando coletas de preços em mercados virtuais e calculando o custo para se atingir 30% das necessidades diárias de um adulto saudável para oito nutrientes. A carne de frango foi a fonte mais barata de proteína. A fibra de cereal teve o menor custo para fibra e ferro. As fontes mais baratas de cálcio foram o Ovomaltine e os lácteos, e o fígado bovino foi o alimento melhor ranqueado para vitamina A. A vitamina C foi o nutriente mais barato na dieta brasileira, e o suco de acerola a fonte mais barata deste nutriente. Os lácteos ocuparam as seis primeiras posições no ranking da vitamina D, e nozes e sementes apresentaram o menor custo para vitamina E. Os resultados mostraram que os consumidores brasileiros podem alcançar a ingestão recomendada de nutrientes considerados críticos a um baixo custo por meio da aquisição dos alimentos melhor ranqueados. No entanto, esse ranqueamento deve ser ponderado em função da qualidade do alimento, conforme preconiza o Novo Guia Alimentar para a População Brasileira.
Nutrient deficiency is one of the major problems of human population nowadays. Studies indicate that consumers consider food prices more relevant than its nutritional value. Therefore, this work aimed to compare the costs of nutrients provided by typical foods found in the Brazilian diet. Food prices available at virtual markets were collected, and the costs to meet 30% of the daily recommendations of a healthy adult were calculated for eight nutrients. Poultry meat was found to be the cheapest source of protein. Cereal fiber had the lowest cost for both fiber and iron. The cheapest sources of calcium were Ovomaltine and dairy products, as bovine liver was the best ranked food for vitamin A. Vitamin C was found to be the cheapest nutrient in the Brazilian diet, with acerola juice being the cheapest source of this nutrient. Dairy products occupied the first six positions in the ranking of vitamin D, while nuts and seeds were the cheapest sources of vitamin E. The results showed that Brazilian consumers can meet the recommended intake of critical nutrients at a low cost through the purchase of the best ranked foods. However, this ranking should be weighted according to the food quality, as recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population.
Keywords:
nutrition, public health, nutrient deficiency, costs
Nutrients benefit cost of consumed food in Brazil.
Resumo (abstract):
Nutrient deficiency is one of the major problems of human population nowadays. Studies indicate that consumers consider food prices more relevant than its nutritional value. Therefore, this work aimed to compare the costs of nutrients provided by typical foods found in the Brazilian diet. Food prices available at virtual markets were collected, and the costs to meet 30% of the daily recommendations of a healthy adult were calculated for eight nutrients. Poultry meat was found to be the cheapest source of protein. Cereal fiber had the lowest cost for both fiber and iron. The cheapest sources of calcium were Ovomaltine and dairy products, as bovine liver was the best ranked food for vitamin A. Vitamin C was found to be the cheapest nutrient in the Brazilian diet, with acerola juice being the cheapest source of this nutrient. Dairy products occupied the first six positions in the ranking of vitamin D, while nuts and seeds were the cheapest sources of vitamin E. The results showed that Brazilian consumers can meet the recommended intake of critical nutrients at a low cost through the purchase of the best ranked foods. However, this ranking should be weighted according to the food quality, as recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population.
Palavras-chave (keywords):
nutrition, public health, nutrient deficiency, costs
