Abstract

The second edition of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population (DGBP) advises “eating regularly and carefully”, “eating in appropriate environments,” and “eating in company”. Individuals may interpret these guidelines differently. We analyzed social representations of these recommendations to ascertain how such representations relate to the official DGBP advice. This cross-sectional, exploratory study was conducted with a selected sample of teachers, administrative technicians, and students (N= 24) from the Federal University of Grande Dourados, Brazil. We carried out an exploratory content analysis of the responses to semi-structured interviews on the topic. We identified seven themes that encompassed the social representations of “eating regularly and carefully”: 1) paying attention to what you eat; 2) having several meals; 3) eating slowly; 4) having time to eat; 5) eating without distractions; 6) eating adequate amounts; and 7) ensuring a nutritional balance. Four themes emerged from the analysis of the social representations of “eating in appropriate environments”: 1) a pleasant environment; 2) at the table; 3) without interferences; and 4) a clean environment. The following themes encompassed the social representations of “eating in company”: 1) eating in company is good; 2) I prefer to eat alone; and 3) eating in company is inconsequential. Although participant representations align with DGBP recommendations in the three orientations, in general, they extend beyond them. Professionals and government organizations in Brazil or abroad could take into consideration these results in order to optimize this tool’s potential for research and policy in nutrition and public health. Keywords: Brazil; Commensality; Diet; Guideline; Nutrition.