Food group intake trends in the Spanish population (2003–2023) in women and men and by age groups, country of origin, and social class: a time-series analysis of nationally representative surveys

Abstract

Background We analyzed the intake evolution of 14 food groups (vegetables, fruits, legumes, bread/flours and breakfast cereals, pasta/rice and potatoes, fish, unprocessed meat, processed meat, dairy products, eggs, sweets, snacks, soft drinks, and fresh juices) in Spanish population between 2003 and 2023, for women and men separately and by age groups, country of origin, and social class.

Methods Using data from the Spanish National and European Health Surveys (2003–2023), combined with the ENALIA/ENALIA-2 surveys, we converted the consumption frequencies of each group into estimated daily intakes in g/day. We modeled their trends over time using locally estimated scatterplot smoothing regressions.

Results We observed: an increase over time in the consumption of vegetables (∆2003–2023: +25%), legumes (+ 10%), eggs (+ 50%), and snacks (+ 44%); and a decrease over time in the intake of soft drinks (-40%) and fresh juices (-24%), sweets (-16%), bread/flours and breakfast cereals (-13%), pasta/rice and potatoes (-11%), fish (-18%), dairy products (-10%), and processed meat (-9%). No large differences were observed between women and men and by social class. A more beneficial evolution was observed in ages 25–34 (with poorer dietary habits in 2003) and in individuals not born in Spain, and a more detrimental evolution was reported in ages ≥ 55 and 5–14.

Conclusions The dietary habits of the Spanish population between 2003 and 2023 have improved in some aspects (more vegetables and legumes; fewer soft drinks, juices, sweets, and processed meat) and worsened in others (less fish and dairy products, more snacks), with notable differences by age groups and country of origin but not between women and men and by social class.