Abstract
Monitoring the nutritional environment is important to help inform future initiatives to improve access to healthy foods. The objective was to examine the nutritional quality of lunch meals eaten at 15 worksite canteens and then to compare with results from a study conducted 10 years before. The duplicate-portion-technique with subsequent chemical analysis was used to quantify 240 customers’ lunch intake. Estimated mean energy intake was 2.1 MJ/meal (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.9 to 2.4 g/meal) and estimated energy density 599 kJ/100 g (95% CI 550 to 653 kJ/100 g). Energy density of the male participants’ meals were significantly higher compared with the female participants’ meals (+55 kJ/100 g, 95% CI: +12 to +98 kJ/100 g, p = 0.012), whereas no gender differences were found in macronutrient distribution or fruit and vegetable intake. Compared to the study conducted 10 years before several significant changes were observed, including an increase in mean estimated intake of fruit and vegetables (+38 g/meal, 95% CI: 19 to 57 g/meal, p < 0.001) and a decrease in energy density (−76 kJ/100 g, 95% CI: −115, −37 kJ/100 g, p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study suggests an equalization of gender differences in fruit and vegetable intake and a possible improvement in the nutritional quality of canteen lunch meals over a 10-year period.
Highlights
IntroductionSuccessful intervention strategies at worksite canteens, restaurants, and other out-of-home outlets have included the provision of affordable healthy food options, decreasing the range of less healthy food and beverage options, some labeling schemes and different “nudging” strategies like changing the placement of fruit and vegetables [9,10,11,12,13]
The objective of the present study was to examine the nutritional quality of lunch meals consumed at 15 worksite canteens, including the intake of energy and fruit and vegetables, as well as the energy density and macronutrient distribution of the food
Satisfaction with the canteen food was generally high in the present study and no significant change in the satisfaction with the canteen food was seen among male participants between the present study and the study conducted 10 years before
Summary
Successful intervention strategies at worksite canteens, restaurants, and other out-of-home outlets have included the provision of affordable healthy food options, decreasing the range of less healthy food and beverage options, some labeling schemes and different “nudging” strategies like changing the placement of fruit and vegetables [9,10,11,12,13]. These kinds of environmental-level strategies do not require the individual to self-select into a defined programme [9]. In recent years, there has been a great focus on political initiatives, as well as health programs and campaigns, aiming at supporting and stimulating health promotion initiatives in order to improve our everyday food and nutritional environment [6,17]
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