Brief communication: dietary habits of first-year medical students as determined by computer software analysis of three-day food records.

Nutrition training for medical students has long been a low priority for most medical schools. Given the growing body of knowledge linking health promotion to proper dietary habits, there is a need to increase the quantity and quality of nutrition training for medical students. In the present study, first-year medical students recorded food intake for 3 days and analyzed their diets for nutrient contents with a computer software program. Use of the interactive software created a personalized approach to increasing nutrition knowledge as the students became aware of their own dietary habits. Female students had a low consumption of kilocalories, dietary fiber, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, and polyunsaturated fat. Male students exceeded current recommended intakes for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.