OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate energy and protein intake and associate it with the nutritional status of children under five years of age. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study with 948 children under five years of age, in the State of Pernambuco. Dietary intake was recorded using 24-hour recalls. Dietary Reference Intakes were used as reference to analyze energy and protein intake values by verifying the median intake and the prevalence of inadequacy. Nutritional status was assessed using the National Center for Health Statistics as reference (weight-for-age, weight-for-length and length-for-age indices). The Student's t-test was used to compare the nutritional status of children with intake values below, above or equal to the energy and protein reference standards. RESULTS: The median energy and protein intake exceeded the dietary reference intakes in most age groups. However, a prevalence of inadequacy of 42.4% for energy and 5.0% for protein were found. The percentages of malnutrition (score-Z <-2 standard deviation) were 7.3%, 1.5% and 16.1% for the weight-for-age, weight-for-length and length-for-age indices, respectively. Nutritional status was better in the group of children whose energy and protein intake were greater than or equal to the reference standard in most age groups. CONCLUSION: The results showed a significant restriction of energy and protein intake, the latter in a smaller proportion, which are associated with the low anthropometric indices of the children. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the food intake of these children in order to avoid food and nutritional inadequacy and their harmful health consequences.
food consumption; child; nutritional status
