Background: The SI.Menu study offers the latest data on the dietary intake of Slovenian adolescents aged 10 to 17. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively assess their dietary intake (energy and nutrients) and compare their food intakes with dietary recommendations for healthy and sustainable diets. Methods: The cross-sectional epidemiological dietary study SI.Menu (March 2017–April 2018) was conducted on a representative sample of Slovenian adolescents aged 10 to 17 years (n = 468) (230 males and 238 females). Data on dietary intake were gathered through two non-consecutive 24 h recalls, in line with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) EU Menu methodology. The repeated 24 h Dietary Recall (HDR) and Food Propensity Questionnaire (FPQ) data were combined to determine the usual intakes of nutrients and food groups, using the Multiple Source Method (MSM) program. Results: Adolescents’ diets significantly deviate from dietary recommendations, lacking vegetables, milk and dairy products, nuts and seeds, legumes, and water, while containing excessive meat (especially red meat) and high-sugar foods. This results in insufficient intake of dietary fibre, and nutrients such as vitamin D, folate, and calcium. Conclusions: The dietary intake of Slovenian adolescents does not meet healthy and sustainable diet recommendations. This study provides an important insight into the dietary habits of Slovenian adolescents that could be useful for future public health strategies.

Background: Slovenia similar to some European countries has a long tradition of the organized system of school meals. The present survey aimed to compare school lunch composition in Slovene primary schools (n = 40) with the national dietary guidelines; Methods: The survey took place from January to September 2020. Sampling of a 5-day school lunch (n = 200) for adolescents aged 10 to 13 years, were performed in schools. Chemical analysis was provided by an accredited national laboratory. Results: The median energy value of school lunches was 2059 kJ (24% of the recommended daily energy intake). The school lunches contained 24.8 g of proteins, 52.9 g of carbohydrates and 16.7 g of dietary fats. Saturated fatty acids represent 4.7 g, polyunsaturated fatty acids 4.7 g, monounsaturated fatty acids 5.8 g, and industrial trans fats 0.2 g/100 g of a meal (1.2 g/meal). Dietary fibre represented 7.8 g, free sugars for 14.7 g and salt for 3.9 g; Conclusions: The survey showed lower values for energy, carbohydrates and total fats in school lunches as recommended, and exceeded values of salt, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Estimating the dietary intakes of certain populations is essential for making the right decisions on a national level in respect to nutrition, epidemiology, economic, environmental, and policy applications. The objective of this study is to determine the usual dietary intakes of macronutrients and micronutrients, considering how the population are individually affected by food and nutrient intakes. From the Central Register of Population, employing a two-stage stratified sampling procedure, a representative sample of adolescent participants was randomly selected, according to sex and place of residency. Two non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls were collected using a web-based Open Platform for Clinical Nutrition (OPEN) software. Additionally, a food propensity questionnaire was used to collect information about a participant’s frequency of food consumption. A total of 468 adolescent were included in the analyses: 10–12 years old (N = 194), 13–14 years old (N = 93), and 15–17 years old (N = 181). The analyses reveal dietary patterns that were different both between age groups and between genders. An overall lower variability in energy and fat intakes but a much higher variability for micronutrients was observed. Unbalanced usual dietary intakes were especially represented through high consumptions of foods that are high in sugar as well as fresh and processed meats, and low intakes of legumes and legume products, fruits and vegetables, while a higher variability was detected within dairy products. Determining the usual dietary intake using the Multiple Source Method provided wider intake distributions that allowed for more precise estimates for the prevalence of inadequate/excessive intakes for analyzed subpopulations. The overall results suggest a deviation from national dietary guidelines and a call for public health interventions in order to improve dietary patterns.

Offering healthy and balanced meals in schools, in addition to educating and raising children’s awareness on the importance of healthy nutrition, is an important public health measure. The article presents a description of the organized school meals system in Slovenia and a comparison with thirteen European countries. Slovenia is one of the countries with over seventy-year old tradition of school meals. The field is regulated by law, whereas educational institutions are provided with human, financial and spatial resources, which enable planning, preparation and distribution of school meals. The arrangements and approaches to providing meals during school hours vary from country to country in Europe and depend on various factors. Most countries have a decentralized arrangement where the responsibility for providing school meals is transferred to the founder (local community) and the educational institution. Slovenia is a country that, in addition to the comprehensive organization of the measure of school meals and subsidies for meals, also has a legally regulated professional monitoring with counselling, which is systematically coordinated throughout the country by the National Institute of Public Health.