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Cited by 48Consumer Attitudes and Food LabelingSodium Intake and HealthNutrition, Health and Food Behavior

Changes in the Energy and Sodium Content of Main Entrées in US Chain Restaurants from 2010 to 2011

Wu, Helen W., Sturm, Roland·2014·Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
DOI 10.1016/j.jand.2013.07.035
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Abstract

Background The food environment shapes individual diets, and as food options change, energy and sodium intake may also shift. Understanding whether and how restaurant menus evolve in response to labeling laws and public health pressures could inform future efforts to improve the food environment.Objectives To track changes in the energy and sodium content of US chain restaurant main entrées between spring 2010 (when the Affordable Care Act was passed, which included a federal menu labeling requirement) and spring 2011.Design Nutrition information was collected from top US chain restaurants' websites, comprising 213 unique brands. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis evaluated change across main entrées overall and compared entrées that were added, removed, and unchanged. Tests of means and proportions were conducted for individual restaurant brands to see how many made significant changes. Separate analyses were conducted for children's menus.Results Mean energy and sodium did not change significantly overall, although mean sodium was 70 mg lower across all restaurants in added vs removed menu items at the 75th percentile. Changes were specific to restaurant brands or service model: family-style restaurants reduced sodium among higher-sodium entrées at the 75th percentile, but not on average, and entrées still far exceeded recommended limits. Fast-food restaurants decreased mean energy in children's menu entrées by 40 kcal. A few individual restaurant brands made significant changes in energy or sodium, but the vast majority did not, and not all changes were in the healthier direction. Among those brands that did change, there were slightly more brands that reduced energy and sodium compared with those that increased it.Conclusions Industry marketing and pledges may create a misleading perception that restaurant menus are becoming substantially healthier, but both healthy and unhealthy menu changes can occur simultaneously. Our study found no meaningful changes overall across a 1-year time period. Longer-term studies are needed to track changes over time, particularly after the federal menu labeling law is implemented.

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  • Few studies have examined longitudinal changes in children's menu items offered at restaurant chains, revealing little difference in the nutrient content of menu items between 2008 and 2012.

    “Few studies have examined longitudinal changes in children’s menu items offered at restaurant chains, revealing little difference in the nutrient content of menu items between 2008 and 2012 [9–11].”

    From Comparison of the nutrient content of children’s menu items at US restaurant chains, 2010–2014 (2015) · cites this paper as [11]

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Authors
Wu, H. W., & Sturm, R.
ORCID
Wu, Helen W.
Venue
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-02
Volume
114
Issue
2
Pages
209-219
ISSN
2212-2672 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jand.2013.07.035
OpenAlex
W1993657369
Cited by
48
References
23
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 8
FWCI
6.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Sodium Intake and Health
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
Keywords
energy content, sodium content, Affordable Care Act, restaurant chains, fast food restaurants, children's menus, food environment, nutrition information
MeSH terms
Energy Intake, Child, Data Collection, Family, Food Analysis, Food Labeling, Health Promotion, Humans, Menu Planning, Restaurants, Sodium, Dietary, United States, Nutrition Policy, Internet, Marketing, Fast Foods, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

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