Abstract
Objective: To describe the knowledge and consumption of functional foods for self-service restaurant users in the capital of Piauí. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted with 161 individuals of both sexes, aged from 20 to 59 years. Users were investigated regarding the definition of functional foods. The usual diet was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire, adapted for functional foods, with consumption categories: habitual, not habitual, rarely consumed and never consumed. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics software. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Results: The sample, with mean age of 38.6 ± 9.0 years, presented male majority (57.8%) and complete higher education (73.3%). Of this, only 36.6% of the individuals correctly defined “functional foods”, in contradiction to what was expected for high schooling as a determinant of knowledge and food quality. The usual diet was characterized by a low weekly intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, unsaturated oils, fish, oilseeds, teas and spices, being therefore insufficient antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic compounds, among which include: resveratrol, lycopene, organosulfurants, catechins, gingerol, curcumin and omega 3. Conclusion: It is concluded that the active adult population participating in this study has inadequate knowledge about functional foods, which are not included in their usual diet.