AMINO ACID SCORE OF THE MOST CONSUMED FOODS AND RELATIONSHIP OF THE DIFFERENT MEAL TIMES WITH THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF ESPOCH STUDENTS 2020

Introduction: The quality of food must be diverse, balanced, healthy, which provides energy and nutrients necessary for the perfect functioning of the organism. Objective: To describe the relationship of the main meal times with the nutritional status of university students and to calculate the amino acid score in foods most consumed in the restaurants of the Higher Polytechnic School of Chimborazo-Riobamba-Ecuador. Methodology: Descriptive cross-sectional study with the application of a semi-structured survey on the frequency of eating times for breakfast, lunch, snack and types of preparations with the highest consumption applied to 483 university students who used ESPOCH bars, with voluntary participation. The statistical analysis was carried out with the free version InfoStat/L 2020 program, where it was found that more than 50% are within normal parameters. Results: Regarding the frequency of consumption of the different meal times according to nutritional status, 48.2% had breakfast daily, 59.8% had lunch and 56.3% had a snack. Of the foods with the highest consumption, two limiting amino acids, threonine and tryptophan, are evident due to the consumption of unhealthy foods with a lower biological value of proteins. It is recommended to make suitable combinations to achieve the balance of essential amino acids.