Family Eating Out Events Outside of the Home

• Project start date: 1 August 2010
• Project status: Completed
• Project type: Food safety
• Discipline: Nutrition
• Principal researcher/s: Prof Barbara Livingstone, University of Ulster, Coleraine
• Collaborator/s: Single supplier

Research objective

The aim of this research was to investigate the range of food available for children while eating outside the home, and to identify barriers to and opportunities for the provision of healthier food options in this environment. The objectives were:

• To assess what nutritional guidelines are available nationally and internationally with respect to eating outside the home
• To investigate the range of children’s meals available outside the home across the IOI and explore the perspective of caterers in the provision of healthier meal options
• To assess attitudes and experiences of parents and guardians of children aged 5-12 years when eating outside the home
• To assess children’s (aged 5-12 years) attitudes with regards to food and eating occasions outside the home.

The target groups involved in the research included caterers, parents and guardians of children aged 5-12 years, and children aged 5-12 years.

Outputs

Research report

• Title: Do you have a kids menu?
• Publication date: 5 November 2013
• Summary: A report into kids meals when eating out.
• Findings:
  • In general, children’s menus offered a limited range of food and drink choices and the provision of healthier options was also limited. This finding was reinforced during discussions with parents and children.
  • Eating establishments scored lowest for the inclusion of a vegetable option and parents consistently reported that they would like to see more vegetables included as standard within children’s menus.
  • Two-thirds of caterers reported that they provide healthier options for children, but only a minority (27 per cent) actively promote these.
  • Attitudes towards the appeal of healthier options was mixed, however the majority of caterers (79 per cent) agreed that they would provide healthy choices if the demand was greater.
  • Establishments which did provide healthier options, considered that their appeal and uptake was similar to less healthy options.
  • ‘Treat’ and ‘time and convenience’ were the main factors driving the parents’ decision to eat out. Cost was also a major determinant when choosing the eating-out location.
  • Cost was not identified as a major constraint for caterers in the provision of healthy foods for children, but rather consumer acceptability.
  • Both parents and children considered that the child’s food choice while eating-out is decided primarily by the child. Parents are only likely to intervene in the decision if they consider that the child is selecting a meal that is not value for money or that they will not eat (to avoid food wastage). Children talked about ‘taste’ in relation to their food choice decision, while parents consider their children’s food choice decisions are heavily driven by the ‘presentation’ and ‘marketing’ of food.
  • Both parents and caterers strongly agreed that parents had the main responsibility for preventing childhood obesity. However, parents felt that eating establishments had a key role to play and would like to be supported in encouraging their child to make healthier food choices.
• Recommendations:

  Key messages for policy makers

  • Develop effective nutrition policies which include the family eating-out sector and outline the responsible body to co-ordinate implementation and monitor adherence.
  • Support caterers in providing nutritional information for their menus.

  Key messages for catering industry

  • Encourage caterers to provide healthy options which are acceptable to children. Parents discussed strategies whereby eating-out establishments could support them in encouraging their children to make healthier choices when eating-out:
    • Provision of half portions from the main menu
    • Inclusion of (more) vegetables in children’s menu
    • Provision of healthier alternatives to chips
    • Using healthier cooking methods.
    • Actively promote healthy options. Use current marketing techniques directed at children to encourage selection of healthier options, e.g. use of a toy, appealing packaging.

  Key messages for parents

  • Support and guide children in making healthier choices: in this research children were aware that they had the primary say in what they ate, but were often aware of what they’d be allowed and not allowed.
  • Ask for healthier options at establishments that you regularly go to: caterers reported that if there was greater demand that they would make changes.

Other outputs

Faulkner GP, Pourshahidi LK, Wallace JMW, Kerr MA, McCaffrey TA and Livingstone MBE (2013) Are portion size estimates influenced by perceived "healthiness" of foods? International Journal of Obesity. 8(1) 106-112. doi:10.1038/ijo.2013.69

Spence M, Livingstone MBE, Hollywood LE, Gibney ER, O’Brien SA, Pourshahidi LK and Dean M (2013). A qualitative study of psychological and social barriers to appropriate food portion size control. International Journal of Behaviour Nutrition and Physical Activity 10:92.

Accepted 1 August 2013; doi: 10.1186/10.1186/1479-5868-10-92.

Faulkner GP, Pourshahidi LK, Wallace JMW, Kerr MA, McCrorie TA and Livingstone MBE (2012) Serving size guidance for consumers: is it effective? Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 71(4) 610-621.

O’Brien S, McNulty BA, Nugent AP, Gibney ER and Livingstone MBE (2011) A comparison of gender differences in food portion sizes consumed by Irish adults during 1997 and 1999. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 70(OCE6), E400.

O’Brien S, McNulty BA, Nugent AP, Gibney ER and Livingstone MBE (2012) A comparison of portion size differences in unpackaged bakery products in Ireland from 1997-2011. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 71(OCE2), E176.

O’Brien S, Lyons, J. McNulty BA, Walton, J, Flynn A, Gibney, MJ, Nugent AP, Gibney ER and Livingstone MBE (2012) Trends in the portion size of savoury snack intakes in Irish adults during 2001 and 2011. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 71(OCE2), E211.

Pourshahidi LK, Faulkner GP, Kerr MA, McCrorie TA, Wallace JMW and Livingstone MBE (2012) Secular trends in the serving sizes of published UK and Irish recipes. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 71(OCE2), E175.

Spence M, Dean M, L.K. Pourshahidi LK, O’Brien S and Livingstone MBE (2012) An exploration of consumer barriers to healthy portion control on the island of Ireland. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 71(OCE2), E212.

Pourshahidi LK, Faulkner GP, Spence M, O’Brien S, Kerr MA, McCrorie TA, Wallace JMW and Livingstone MBE (2012) Raising consumer awareness of portion size distortion on the island of Ireland. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 71(OCE2), E177.

Faulkner GP, Pourshahidi LK, Wallace JMW, Kerr MA, McCrorie TA and Livingstone MBE (2012) Can portion size and energy density estimates be influenced by perceived "healthiness" of foods? Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 71(OCE2), E43.

Pourshahidi LK, Faulkner GP, Spence M, Dean M, O’Brien S, Goulding M, Gibney ER, Kerr MA, McCaffrey TA, Wallace JMW and Livingstone MBE (2013) Evaluation of portion size estimation aids among Irish consumers. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 72(OCE3), E130.

Faulkner GP, Pourshahidi LK, Dean M, Spence M, O’Brien S, Gibney ER, Kerr MA, McCaffrey TA, Wallace JMW and Livingstone MBE (2013) Consumer views of portion size estimation aids. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 72(OCE3), E169.

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