Aim: The objectives of this study were to determine the extent to which children were meeting the dietary recommendation, to identify major food intake patterns and to assess nutrient intakes associated with those patterns.
Methodology: The diet survey was conducted using a questionnaire in Arabic language, including the 24-hour-recall as well as food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) which consisted of listing all food and beverages consumed during the previous 24 hours. A total of 550 school children aged 6-9 year-old (boys and girls) were selected from the first to fourth class primary school from seven different regions of Derna, for assessment food intake through the 24-hours recall. Food intakes of energy, water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, cholesterol, Vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, and E, carotene, folic acid, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron and zinc were analyzed using Nutrisurvey® (1). After determining group estimates of energy and nutrients intake, average intake was compared to the Recommendations Dietary Allowances (RDA).
Results: The average daily intake of total protein was 226% (± 25.4). The intake of protein was significantly greater (p≤0.05) among boys than girls. Students overall consumed at least the RDA for all vitamins with the exception of vitamin B6 and Carotene, nearly 1.5 times the recommendation. Energy intake expresses as a percentage of RDA of all children was 76% of RDA (± 5.8). The school children in this study, both sexes, reported an average daily vitamins B6 and carotene intake of 149% (± 9.6) and 129% (± 52.2), respectively. The average intake of total fat in percent of RDA was 91% (SD=9). In this study average daily fiber intake was 10.0 g (± 7.9).
Conclusion: The majority of girls and boys in this study reported eating adequate amounts of minerals such as zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium as a percent of RDA. In this study, the mean daily fiber intakes were generally low among this population of children as a percent of RDA. The typical children's diet was low in important minerals such as iron (70%).

Keyword: diet, children, RDA.

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