Macronutrient and food intake in the Baltic republics

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe mean macronutrient and food intakes in the Baltic republics, with a particular focus on fat, vegetable and fruit consumption. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Data from surveys conducted in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the summer of 1997 were used. Information was collected using a 24 h rec all of dietary intake and an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Subjects: Representative national samples of adults were selected. All those with information from the dietary recall were included in the study (Estonia: n = 2015; Latvia: n = 2300; Lithuania: n = 2094). Results: The mean proportion of energy from fat was high in each country, but particularly in Lithuania (44%) and Latvia (42%) compared with Estonia (36%). In contrast, percentage energy from carbohydrate, protein and alcohol was higher in Estonia. Mean protein intake was generally sufficient if not high in some population sub-groups. Median vegetable intakes were very low (<200 g/day) in each country, particularly in Latvia. While 78% of the Lithuanian respondents consumed vegetables daily, this was the case in only 60% of the Latvian and 48% of the Estonian respondents. Conclusions: This study suggests that there is a pressing need to replace high-fat energy dense foods by foods rich in complex carbohydrates and dietary fibre, such as vegetables and fruits, in the Baltic republics. This could provide the populations with a reduced risk and increased protection against non-communicable diseases. These issues will need to be tackled through comprehensive food and nutrition policies and health promotion campaigns.