Development of Hypercaloric Food Preparations as an Alternative to Commercial Nutritional Supplements in a Public Pediatric Hospital

Abstract

Introduction. Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) are widely used in hospitalized pediatric patients to improve energy and protein intake and to support nutritional recovery. However, their high cost, limited flavor variety, and high degree of processing may affect accessibility and adherence, particularly in public hospital settings. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate hypercaloric, normoproteic food preparations, gluten-free and lactose- free or lactose-reduced, as an alternative to commercial ONS.

Materials and method. Four food preparations were formulated: lemon dessert, chocolate smoothie, banana cake, and cheese scone. Acceptability was assessed through tasting tests in 40 hospitalized pediatric patients using hedonic scale questionnaires. In addition, a comparative cost analysis was conducted between the developed preparations and the commercial ONS used as reference.

Results. Overall acceptability of the preparations was high, with a mean acceptance rate of 70%, with the cheese scone and chocolate smoothie being the most highly rated options. The preparations showed variable nutritional profiles, allowing adaptation to different clinical indications. The average cost per serving of the food preparations represented approximately 10% of the cost of commercial ONS.

Conclusion. The developed food preparations were well accepted and represent an economical, accessible, and adaptable alternative to the individual needs of hospitalized pediatric patients. Although commercial ONS remain a reference resource due to their standardization and safety, these formulations could play a complementary role by expanding the range of oral supplementation options available in the hospital setting.