To Örebro University

Background: It has been shown that food and beverage combinations can be used as indicators of healthy meal patterns. Even though choices of combinations often are considered subjective properties in some part, and have been studied in    several different ways, mainly within the field of sensory science on adults, this study contributes to the field of food and beverage combination studies by using self-reported habits on adolescents.

Objective: This article explores the relationships between food and beverage combinations, recorded by a Swedish adolescent population.

Method: Secondary analyses were made using data from the national dietary survey, Riksmaten Adolescent (2016-2017), performed by the Swedish Food Agency. A total of 3 477 Swedish adults aged 11, 15 and 18 years old contributed dietary intake data. Participants in the survey registered 3 days of intake where recall day one and three were non-consecutive and retrospective. All meal choices were categorized into beverage categories and food categories. Combinations between beverage and food categories were analyzed by using cross tabulation. Correlation coefficients for non-parametric variables were used to determine the association power. Predictive factors for more important beverage and food combinations were explored by logistic regression analysis.

Results: Our results show correlations in reported consumption of food and beverage, which explain the occurrences of specific patterns of combinations of food and beverages

Conclusion: More studies on choice of beverage are needed to describe the patterns of intake, in order to understand the mechanisms behind beverage choice, in different settings and cultural situations and lifestyle backgrounds. Combinations in everyday life are described here and are rather building on availability than on optimal taste combinations. Our findings can offer an understanding of some common every-day choices as habits which are of concern for future meal patterns.