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Clinical nutrition

Strategies to increase protein intake at mealtimes through a novel high-frequency food service in hospitalized patients

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 73, pages 910–916 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives

Additional strategies should be applied to optimize hospital food services, in order to increase the number of patients with adequate protein intake at mealtimes. Therefore, we aim to specify the differences in protein intake per mealtime between the traditional three meals a day food service (TMS) and a novel six times a day food service containing protein-rich food items, FoodforCare (FfC).

Subjects/Methods

This was a post-hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study comparing the TMS (July 2015 − May 2016; n = 326) to FfC (January 2016 − December 2016; n = 311) in adult hospitalized patients.

Results

Protein intake (g) was higher with FfC at all mealtimes (p < 0.05) except for dinner (median [IQR] at breakfast: 17 [6.5–25.7] vs. 10 [3.8–17]; 10:00 a.m.: 3.3 [0.3−5.3] vs. 1 [0−2.2]; lunch: 17.6 [8.4−25.8] vs. 13 [7−19.4]; 2:30 p.m.: 5.4 [0.8–7.5] vs. 0 [0–1.8]; 7:00 p.m.: 1 [0–3.5] vs. 0 [0–1.7]; 9:00 p.m.: 0 [0–0.1] vs. 0 [0–0]). At dinner, protein intake was highest for both food services (20.9 g [8.4–24.1] vs. 20.5 g [10.5–27.8]).

Conclusions

Implementation of a high-frequency food service can improve protein intake at mealtimes during the day and might be a strategy to increase the number of patients with adequate protein intake.

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Funding

The study was funded by the FoodforCare Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands

    Dorian N. Dijxhoorn & Geert J. A. Wanten

  2. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology—Dietetics and Intestinal Failure, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands

    Vera E. IJmker-Hemink & Manon G. A. van den Berg

Authors
  1. Dorian N. Dijxhoorn
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  2. Vera E. IJmker-Hemink
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  3. Geert J. A. Wanten
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  4. Manon G. A. van den Berg
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dorian N. Dijxhoorn.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Dijxhoorn, D.N., IJmker-Hemink, V.E., Wanten, G.J.A. et al. Strategies to increase protein intake at mealtimes through a novel high-frequency food service in hospitalized patients. Eur J Clin Nutr 73, 910–916 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0288-6

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