TABLE 3.
Examples of the qualitative recommendations identified (n = 80), as grouped into themes and shown by region and age group1
| Theme | Example text | Source regions (recommendations per region, n) | Target age group [recommendations per age group, n] | Source (reference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy/nutritious | “Nutritious snacks”; “healthy snacks” | Asia and the Pacific (7) | General population [9] Children [9] Adolescents [2] Adults [1] | (36, 37, 49, 52, 55, 70, 78, 79, 81, 86–97) |
| Europe (4) | ||||
| Africa and South Africa (4) | ||||
| North America and Canada (5) | ||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean (0) | ||||
| Middle East (1) | ||||
| Nutrient/energy density | “Snacks that are high in nutrients and low in calories”; “nutrient-dense snacks”; “healthy snacks; high in essential nutrients and low in fat and/or sugar”; “ideal snacks provide energy, protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and a good balance of dietary fats” | Asia and the Pacific (3) | General population [2] | (37, 87, 94, 98, 99) |
| Europe (0) | Children [2] | |||
| Africa and South Africa (0) | Adolescents [0] | |||
| North America and Canada (1) | Adults [1] | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean (0) | ||||
| Middle East (1) | ||||
| Moderation/suitability of snack | “Equal distribution of energy intake over the day”; “suitable snacks”; “snacks should be part of a reasonable diet”; “snacks should not replace main meals”; “enjoy snacks moderately”; “alcohol contains calories and may promote snacking” | Asia and the Pacific (7) | General population [6] Children [7] Adolescents [3] Adults [1] | (53–55, 80, 86, 90, 95, 99–105) |
| Europe (5) | ||||
| Africa and South Africa (2) | ||||
| North America and Canada (3) | ||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean (0) | ||||
| Middle East (0) | ||||
| Other | “Do not choose snacks only based on the taste and preference”; “according to the needs of physical or learning activities, take snacks in the right amount between meals, but not too often every day”; “encourage kids to invent new snacks”; “whole grains can be healthy snacks: be good role models”; “rewarding with sweet desserts or snacks may encourage them to think that treats are better than other foods. Comfort and reward with care and praise not food” | Asia and the Pacific (3) | General population [1] Children [4] Adolescents [1] Adults [0] | (55, 89, 95, 106) |
| Europe (0) | ||||
| Africa and South Africa (0) | ||||
| North America and Canada (3) | ||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean (0) | ||||
| Middle East (0) |
1Single reference sources may have contained ≥1 recommendation; hence, numbers of recommendations and references do not tally.