Nutritional Evaluation of Served Menu in Korean Temples

ABSTRACT

This study was performed to evaluate served menu in Korean temples. Among available temples in the nation, 34 tem-ples were carefully selected considering location and the gender characteristics. A five consecutive day menu was collected to analyse by interview between Jan 2004 and Aug 2004. Mean energy content of menu was 1633.8 kcal, with 67.3% of energy supplied by carbohydrate, 14.8% by protein and 17.9% by fat. Beans and bean products were the major contribu-ting dishes for most nutrients. Contents of most nutrients except energy, protein and vitamin B were higher than RDA. Nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR )were 0.9-1.0 and mean adequacy ratio (MAR )was 0.9 for temples. Total number of dishes from menu was 7.3. Dietary variety score (DVS )was 26.4 and buddhist monk temples offered more diverse foods than buddhist nun temples. KDQI (Korean diet Quality Index ), overall diet quality index were 0.67 and those of bud-dhist nun temples were better than those of buddhist monk temples. From the result of this study it was concluded that the temple diet is nutritionally well balanced, rich in dietary fiber and low in cholesterol. So it can be a healthy diet for the mo-dern person. This is the very first study attempting the nationwide investigation of temple diet in Korea. It will be used as fundamental data to improve quality of diet to prevent modern chronic disease.