OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a diet supplemented with a bran-based cereal mixture on the nutritional status of preschool children presenting nutritional risk. METHODS: This was a two-month double-blinded study with a longitudinal follow up using 135 children with ages ranging from one to six years old and divided into three groups: intervention 1 (GI1=48), intervention 2 (GI2 n=45) and control (CG n=42), receiving 5g and 10g of the multi-mixture and placebo, respectively. The nutritional situation of the children in the study was evaluated before and after supplementation. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in the weight/age, height/age and weight/height indicators at the base line (p=0.251 p=0.248 and p=0.399 respectively) between the groups studied. After intervention, the difference between the groups in the prevalence of anthropometrical deficit was also not significant (p=0.100 p=0.435 and p=0.210 respectively) and a comparison of the averages before and after intervention revealed no differences (p>0.05 using the Kruskall - Wallis and Analysis of Variance statistical methods). CONCLUSION: In the specific case of the bran-based mixture, the impact of the small amounts of supplement ingested did not warrant expecting alterations in the recovery of children presenting nutritional risk, since these supplements contain only small amounts of calories and macro and micronutrients.
nutritional status; nutritional supplement; supplementary feeding
