Introduction:

Food exchange lists (FEL) are useful tools for nutritionists that allow them to quantify the intake of calories and nutrients and to make feeding plans in a practical way.

Objective:

To design a FEL to be used in pediatric population in order to ease the nutritionists' work when treating children.

Materials and methods:

Cross-sectional descriptive study. The most frequently consumed foods were selected based on 24-hour reminders and a food composition database (FCDB). Food exchange sizes were determined taking into account the age group food portion sizes. After the food composition chemical analysis, the portion sizes to be used at home (e.g. spoon, teaspoon, cup, etc.) were determined and the FEL for pediatric use was designed and validated.

Results:

A total of 241 foods, distributed in 9 groups and 4 annexes, were included. A main nutrient was considered for each group and the portion size to be used at home was defined according to the characteristics of each food. There was consistency between the FEL for pediatric use and the FCDB regarding consumption assessment (ICC>0.81).

Conclusion:

It was possible to develop a reliable FEL for pediatric use that will allow nutritionists to assess feeding and design feeding plans for preschoolers and schoolchildren in a practical way.

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