Journal
NUTRIENTS
Volume 14, Issue 13, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/nu14132741
Keywords
Kids' Menus; cafes; restaurants; children; nutritional quality
Categories
Funding
- East Metropolitan Health Service, Western Australian Department of Health
- Australian Research Council DECRA Award [DE210101791]
- Australian Research Council [DE210101791] Funding Source: Australian Research Council
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Australian families rely more on eating foods from outside the home, leading to increased intake of energy-dense nutrient-poor foods. This study evaluated the nutritional quality of Kids' Menus in restaurants and cafes in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. The findings showed that almost all Kids' Menus were rated as "unhealthy", with lower nutritional quality compared to the top 10 most frequented chain fast-food outlets.
Australian families increasingly rely on eating foods from outside the home, which increases intake of energy-dense nutrient-poor foods. 'Kids' Menus' are designed to appeal to families and typically lack healthy options. However, the nutritional quality of Kids' Menus from cafes and full-service restaurants (as opposed to fast-food outlets) has not been investigated in Australia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional quality of Kids' Menus in restaurants and cafes in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. All 787 cafes and restaurants located within the East Metropolitan Health Service area were contacted and 33% had a separate Kids' Menu. The validated Kids' Menu Healthy Score (KIMEHS) was used to assess the nutritional quality of the Kids' Menus. Almost all Kids' Menus (99%) were rated 'unhealthy' using KIMEHS. The mean KIMEHS score for all restaurants and cafes was -8.5 (range -14.5 to +3.5) which was lower (i.e., more unhealthy) than the mean KIMEHS score for the top 10 most frequented chain fast-food outlets (mean -3.5, range -6.5 to +3). The findings highlight the need for additional supports to make improvements in the nutritional quality of Kids' Menus. Local Government Public Health Plans provide an opportunity for policy interventions, using locally relevant tools to guide decision making.
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