Advertisement
Research Article| Volume 48, ISSUE 4, P242-249.e1, April 2016

Download started.

Ok

Assessing the Availability of Healthier Children's Meals at Leading Quick-Service and Full-Service Restaurants

      Abstract

      Objective

      To compare the calorie, fat, saturated fat, and sodium content of available children's meal combinations in leading restaurants with national recommendations.

      Design

      Cross-sectional.

      Setting

      Children's menu offerings and corresponding nutrition information were collected (May, 2014) from Web sites of the top 10 quick-service (QSR) and top 10 full-service (FSR) restaurant chains that offered a children's menu and provided nutrition information.

      Variables Measured

      Total calories (kcal), percent calories from fat and saturated fat, and total sodium (mg) were calculated for children's meal combinations (QSR N = 1,363; FSR N = 6,654). Combinations with ≤ 600 kcal, ≤ 35% kcal from fat, ≤ 10% kcal from saturated fat, ≤ 770 mg sodium, and those that met all 4 of these criteria were identified.

      Analysis

      Frequencies by restaurant segment.

      Results

      The majority of QSR (72%) and FSR (63%) meal combinations had ≤ 600 kcal. Only 31.9% of combinations at QSRs and 21.7% at FSRs met all 4 criteria. In both segments the calorie target was most frequently met, and the sodium target the least.

      Conclusions and Implications

      Children's meal combinations with ≤ 600 kcal are available at leading restaurant chains, but many meals fail to meet current national recommendations for fat, saturated fat, and sodium. Menu labeling legislation may address caloric content but implications for other nutrients remain unclear.

      Key Words

      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access

      SNEB Member Login

      SNEB Members, full access to the journal is a member benefit. Login via the SNEB Website to access all journal content and features.

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

        • Hiza H.A.
        • Casavale K.O.
        • Guenther P.M.
        • Davis C.A.
        Diet quality of Americans differs by age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, and education level.
        J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013; 113: 297-306
        • Kim S.A.
        • Moore L.V.
        • Galuska D.
        • et al.
        Vital signs: fruit and vegetable intake among children—United States, 2003–2010.
        MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014; 63: 671-676
        • Reedy J.
        • Krebs-Smith S.M.
        Dietary sources of energy, solid fats, and added sugars among children and adolescents in the United States.
        J Am Diet Assoc. 2010; 110: 1477-1484
        • French S.A.
        • Story M.
        • Neumark-Sztainer D.
        • Fulkerson J.A.
        • Hannan P.
        Fast food restaurant use among adolescents: associations with nutrient intake, food choices and behavioral and psychosocial variables.
        Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002; 25: 1823-1833
        • Sebastian R.S.
        • Enns C.W.
        • Goldman J.D.
        US adolescents and MyPyramid: associations between fast-food consumption and lower likelihood of meeting recommendations.
        J Am Diet Assoc. 2009; 109: 226-235
        • Batada A.
        • Bruening M.
        • Marchlewicz E.H.
        • Story M.
        • Wootan M.G.
        Poor nutrition on the menu: children's meals at America's top chain restaurants.
        Child Obes. 2012; 8: 251-254
        • Powell L.M.
        • Nguyen B.T.
        Fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption among children and adolescents: effect on energy, beverage, and nutrient intake.
        JAMA Pediatr. 2013; 167: 14-20
        • Cogswell M.E.
        • Yuan K.
        • Gunn J.P.
        • et al.
        Vital signs: sodium intake among US school-aged children—2009–2010.
        MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014; 63: 789-797
        • Poti J.M.
        • Slining M.M.
        • Popkin B.M.
        Where are kids getting their empty calories? Stores, schools, and fast-food restaurants each played an important role in empty calorie intake among US children during 2009-2010.
        J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014; 114: 908-917
        • Powell L.M.
        • Nguyen B.T.
        • Han E.
        Energy intake from restaurants: demographics and socioeconomics, 2003–2008.
        Am J Prev Med. 2012; 43: 498-504
      1. Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. US Dept of Agriculture, Dept of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC2015
      2. National Restaurant Association. What's hot in 2015 culinary forecast. http://www.restaurant.org/Downloads/PDFs/News-Research/WhatsHot2015-Results.pdf. Accessed March 1, 2015.

      3. National Restaurant Association. What's Hot in 2014 culinary forecast confirms sourcing, nutrition trends. http://www.restaurant.org/News-Research/News/What-s-Hot-in-2014-culinary-forecast-confirms-sour. Accessed March 1, 2015.

      4. National Restaurant Association. NRA shows you what's hot for 2013. http://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/nra-shows-you-whats-hot-2013. Accessed March 1, 2015.

      5. National Restaurant Association. What's hot in 2012 chef survey shows local sourcing, kids' nutrition as top menu trends. http://www.restaurant.org/News-Research/News/What-s-Hot-in-2012-chef-survey-shows-local-sourcin. Accessed March 1, 2015.

      6. National Restaurant Association. Local sourcing, healthy kids' meals, sustainable seafood and gluten-free cuisine among hottest restaurant menu trends in 2011. http://www.restaurant.org/Pressroom/Press-Releases/Local-Sourcing,-Healthy-Kids'-Meals,-Sustainable-S. Accessed March 1, 2015.

      7. National Restaurant Association. Sustainability, local sourcing and nutrition top list of hottest menu trends for 2010, according to national restaurant association research. http://www.restaurant.org/Pressroom/Press-Releases/Sustainability,-Local-Sourcing-and-Nutrition-Top-L. Accessed March 1, 2015.

      8. National Restaurant Association. Kids LiveWell Program [Internet]. http://www.restaurant.org/Industry-Impact/Food-Healthy-Living/Kids-LiveWell-Program. Accessed March 1, 2015.

        • Bleich S.N.
        • Wolfson J.A.
        • Jarlenski M.P.
        Calorie changes in chain restaurant menu items: implications for obesity and evaluations of menu labeling.
        Am J Prev Med. 2015; 48: 70-75
        • Bleich S.N.
        • Wolfson J.A.
        • Jarlenski M.P.
        Calorie changes in large chain restaurants: declines in new menu items but room for improvement.
        Am J Prev Med. 2016; 50: e1-e8
      9. Taylor M. FDA Statement On Extension Of Menu Labeling Compliance Date. http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm453529.htm. Accessed July 30, 2015.

        • US Department of Agriculture
        US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010.
        7th ed. US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC2010
        • Cohen D.A.
        • Bhatia R.
        • Story M.T.
        • et al.
        Performance Standards for Restaurants: A New Approach to Addressing the Obesity Epidemic.
        RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA2013
        • National Restaurant Association
        Top 100 Report.
        2013
      10. US Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Release 27. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=25706. Accessed February 17, 2016.

      11. US Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for industry: nutrition labeling manual: a guide for developing and using data bases. http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm063113.htm. Accessed January 30, 2015.

      12. Office of the Vice Provost for Research, Tufts University. What must be reviewed? http://www.tufts.edu/central/research/IRB/ToBeReviewed.htm. Accessed December 17, 2015.

        • Anzman-Frasca S.
        • Mueller M.P.
        • Sliwa S.
        • et al.
        Changes in children's meal orders following healthy menu modifications at a regional US restaurant chain.
        Obesity (Silver Spring). 2015; 23: 1055-1062
        • Auchincloss A.H.
        • Leonberg B.L.
        • Glanz K.
        • Bellitz S.
        • Ricchezza A.
        • Jervis A.
        Nutritional value of meals at full-service restaurant chains.
        J Nutr Educ Behav. 2014; 46: 75-81
        • Tandon P.S.
        • Zhou C.
        • Chan N.L.
        • et al.
        The impact of menu labeling on fast-food purchases for children and parents.
        Am J Prev Med. 2011; 41: 434-438
        • Wansink B.
        • Love K.
        Slim by design: Menu strategies for promoting high-margin, healthy foods.
        Int J Hosp Manag. 2014; 42: 137-143
        • Anzman-Frasca S.
        • Dawes F.
        • Sliwa S.
        • et al.
        Healthier side dishes at restaurants: an analysis of children's perspectives, menu content, and energy impacts.
        Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2014; 11: 81
        • Wansink B.
        • Hanks A.S.
        Calorie reductions and within-meal calorie compensation in children's meal combos.
        Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014; 22: 630-632
        • Piernas C.
        • Popkin B.M.
        Trends in snacking among U.S. children.
        Health Aff. 2010; 29: 398-404
        • Popkin B.M.
        The public health implications of fast-food menu labeling.
        Am J Prev Med. 2012; 43: 569-570