Abstract
Restaurant meal consumption has increased substantially, but the ability of restaurants to adhere to guidelines for the Mediterranean diet, healthiness and food allergen management is a challenge. This cross-sectional study aims to assess the Mediterranean diet adherence, healthiness, nutritional quality and food allergen management of meals at restaurants in the Tarragona province (Catalonia, Spain). Primary outcomes included adherence to criteria for the Mediterranean diet (AMed) and gluten management (SMAP), nutritional quality of dishes indicated by a green traffic light rating, meal nutrient content and allergen-free options. Secondary outcomes included restaurant staff knowledge about the Mediterranean diet and food allergens. Forty-four restaurants and 297 dishes were analysed. The restaurants fulfilled an average (mean ± SD) of 5.1 ± 1.6 of 9 compulsory AMed criteria and 12.9 ± 2.8 of 18 SMAP criteria. Dishes were mainly rated green for sugar (n = 178/297; 59.9%) but not for energy (n = 23/297; 7.7%) or total fat (n = 18/297; 6.1%). Waiters and cooks received passing scores for food allergen knowledge (5.8 ± 1.7 and 5.5 ± 1.5 out of 10 points, respectively). Restaurants partially met the AMed and SMAP criteria. Increasing fibre and decreasing saturated fat content are necessary to improve consumers’ adherence to healthy diets. For restaurant staff, training courses should be considered to improve their food allergen management.
Highlights
The consumption of daily meals outside of the home, both in sit-down restaurants and as take-away foods, has increased in recent years among adults and children [1].Lack of time and work commitments have been reported as the major reasons for the consumption of daily meals in restaurants and cafeterias
The food environment is directly associated with the nutritional quality of the foods offered, so consumers’ diets differ according to the eating location; for instance, out-ofhome meals consumed in the workplace setting are nutritionally healthier and more similar to home-cooked meals than restaurant and fast-food meals, as more high energy-density foods are available at these locations [5]
It includes the baseline data of the Healthy Meals Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), which is a multicomponent intervention applied to restaurants and their staff, including training, menu nutritional quality analysis and identification of food allergens, to promote healthier meals for each member of a family and improved management of food allergens, and to satisfy customers with specific needs
Summary
The consumption of daily meals outside of the home, both in sit-down restaurants and as take-away foods, has increased in recent years among adults and children [1]. Lack of time and work commitments have been reported as the major reasons for the consumption of daily meals in restaurants and cafeterias. According to a recent study of eleven European countries, eating frequently at restaurants was associated with a higher intake of energy, fat and alcohol [3], as well as with a lower consumption of fruits and vegetables, increasing the risk of weight gain, overweight and obesity [4]. In Mediterranean countries, the frequency of restaurant meal consumption has been correlated with an obesity epidemic [6]
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