September Blog Summary 2014

This article focused on the labeling method to get consumers to choose healthier options at dining facilities. They didn't only use the calorie labeling method but also utilized contextual and interpretative methods of nutrition labeling. This is to help consumers understand the numbers better. The study found that with contextual and interpretive labeling, they're able to get consumers to choose and eat more of the healthier items they have targeted. The study also found that just calories alone didn't have the same effect because it didn't really mean much to the consumers. The researchers also pointed out that whatever method is used, it should be one that is easy for consumers to understand.

Question #1 September 2014
Factors such as time, food habits, and price all play a part in food choices when dining out. When dealing with clients who are watching their weight, how could you encourage healthier food choices while dining out? 

Many participants stated portion size as being a big issue when dining out. I would agree this is a problem because not only are the foods typically higher in calorie and fat but these meals can usually feed 2-3 people! Jessica, Arthur, and Susan also mentioned pre-planning prior to going out, which allows the consumers to take their time to look at the nutritional data ahead of time to take the guess work out when they're actually at the restaurant. Arthur pointed out Denny's utilizing the interpretive style of labeling, which he found impressive. This ties back to the main point of the study and it works. Haley and Susan also mentioned the "eat this not that" approach. This includes adding fruits and vegetables, not choosing fried foods or cream based soup, and drinking water instead of sugary drinks, as Jeanne mentioned. Others pointed out that eating out should be an enjoyable experience so splurging from time to time should be ok! Enjoy every bite and make the most out of the meal away from home. Carrie definitely touched on mindful eating and to help clients enjoy their meals more. Brady and others mentioned helping clients personalize their favorite meals at their favorite restaurants.

Question #2 September 2014
Pretend you are the RD for a food establishment, how would you present nutrition information on your menu for the consumers to increase the selection and consumption of healthier options? 

Jessica and Arthur mentioned utilizing marketing and technology in multiple places so that the consumer is constantly reminded. I would agree that you can use symbols but also add a little blurb about what the symbol actually stands for and what criteria was being used. Haley mentioned featuring or pushing more vegetables on the menu would keep the menu options fairly healthy. Susan mentioned providing healthy substitutes to make it simple for consumers. A few people mentioned that restaurants are more consumer driven than ever and consumers are demanding healthier and appropriately sourced foods that met their expectations. Arthur mentioned that it's possible that restaurants aren't providing adequate information so as an RD I think that it's important to make sure the information is accurate and standardized recipes are used to stay consistent. Carrie mentioned that possibly having explanations of the labels will help clients carry on making healthy choices in their every day life and possibly continue to read labels. I also agree that revamping on the "kids menu" is necessary because we do not want the kids to take on bad habits early on. I like Brady's "friendly symbol" idea because it does make you feel like you did something good for yourself. I definitely like the idea of making the healthy sides a part of the switch and if the consumer wants to make the unhealthier swap they would have to do that separately! Genius! Jeannie mentioned carb counting on the menu being helpful to diabetics and it may be, but I wonder if that would make sense to those who are non-diabetics.

Question #3 September 2014
This article touched based on consumers with low health and literary competencies. How would you go about conveying nutrition information to this population?  

Jessica mentioned pictures being the best route and definitely working with the servers to train them appropriately on menu items so they can address any customer concerns. Arthur makes a good point that literacy, especially health literacy is not a universal concept. We've been studying nutrition for years, so it comes easier for us. Simplicity really is key for a majority of the population. Jeanne made a good point that "healthy" for one person isn't the same as for another. Haley and Susan brought up a good point that the education should focus on particular demographics and cultures because it simply can't be standardized for all population. Sammy and Carrie made good points about not overwhelming the consumers. Too much info will just go over their heads and they probably won't care. Brady mentioned giving more contextual labels and messages may be the way to convey what they're really doing to their health when they eat certain foods and that may hit closer to home.

As for recommendations for practice in the future, I think for cafeterias should utilize these contextual and interpretive methods to increase their sales of healthier options. The only thing I would also recommend is defining the criteria for what makes a meal a "healthy" meal. This way others in the field could possibly adapt those criterion when utilizing labels. As RDs, I think it will be our job to counsel businesses on how to approach populations searching for healthier options and how to change up their menu to accommodate growing demands.