Title: The Use of Common Symbols to Identify Healthy Food Options at Community Restaurants
1The Use of Common Symbols to Identify Healthy
Food Options at Community Restaurants
- Jenni Wolfenbarger
- Walden University
- PUBH-6165-01
2Learning Objectives
- Identify consumer eating habits and preferences
- Highlight successful community wide initiative
for healthy eating - Discuss the use of symbols on menus to identify
healthy foods - Recommendations for our community
3Introduction
- Healthy eating is key in lowering
- -stroke
- -heart disease
- -cancer
- County wide health initiative to address healthy
nutritional options - Reference Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (2009). Obesity. Retrieved July 18,
2009 from http//www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html.
4Consumers Point of View
- Americans use 44 percent of their food budget
eating at restaurants and cafeterias. - Half of all adults look for low fat or healthy
options in the menu. - Consumers indicate confusion over proper portion
sizes when eating out. - Reference U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(2007). Todays Special Nutritional Information.
Retrieved July 19, 2009 from http//vm.cfsan.fda.g
ov/dms/fdacmenu.html.
5How have other communities addressed the need for
healthy eating in restaurants and cafeterias?
- Healthy Restaurants Program Howard County,
Maryland - Take ½ home, Pinellas County, Florida
- Just Ask Us! Rockland County, New York.
6Healthy Restaurants Program Howard County,
Maryland
- Twenty participating restaurants
- Advantages to the community healthy food
options, easy to recognize. - Advantages to restaurant owners recognition in
program, new customers, improved consumer
confidence. - Reference Howard County Health Department
(2009). Implementing a Healthy Restaurant
Program. Retrieved July 19, 2009 from
http//www.co.ho.md.us/Health/docs/HealthyResToolK
it.pdf.
7Take ½ Home Pinellas County, Florida.
- Program components
- Healthy kids meals
- smaller portions
- cook to order items.
- Reference
- Pinellas County Health Department (2009). Healthy
Choices Restaurant Program. Retrieved July 19,
2009 from http//www.pinellashealth.com/HCRestaura
nts/ForConsumers.asp.
8Just Ask Us! Rockland County, New York
- We Bake, Broil or Grill slogan became easy to
recognize by customers. - Restaurants experienced an increase in healthy
food orders for adults and children. - Reference Rockland County Department of Health
(2008). Just Ask Us! Retrieved July 19, 2009 from
http//www.healthierus.gov/STEPS/2006Slides/C4/jac
obson.html.
9Examples of Food Symbols
Reference Heart and Stroke Foundation (2009).
Health Check Helping You Eat Well. Retrieved
August 7, 2009 from http//www.heartandstroke.com/
site/c.ikIQLcMWJtE/b.3483961/k.FBE9/Health_Check84
82__Designed_to_help_you_make_healthy_food_choices
.htm
10Recommendations
- Committee of stakeholders
- Educational campaign to recruit restaurants
- Clear expectations on healthy food items
- Nutritionist services offered
- Consumer educational campaign
- Reference Cowdrey, L. (2006). Restaurants Must
Do More in Fight Against U.S. Obesity. Nations
Health, 36(6), 23-23.
11Recommendations cont.
- Ongoing collaboration is essential in the success
of the program - Surveys
- Customer comments
- Visibility in the community
- Reference Howard County Health Department
(2009). Implementing a Healthy Restaurant
Program. Retrieved July 19, 2009 from
http//www.co.ho.md.us/Health/docs/HealthyResToolK
it.pdf.
12Sources for Further Reading
- Hands-On Social Marketing by Nedra Klein
Weinreich - American Diabetes Association Guide to Healthy
Restaurant Eating by Hope S. Warshaw - Howard County Health Department (2009).
Implementing a Healthy Restaurant Program.
Retrieved July 19, 2009 from http//www.co.ho.md.u
s/Health/docs/HealthyResToolKit.pdf. - Schenker, S. (2009). People Still Confused About
Healthy Eating Says Study. Practice Nurse, 3(09),
2-3. - Barton, R.L., Whitehead, K. (2008). Review of
Community Based Healthy Eating Interventions.
Journal of Human Nutrition Dietetics, 21(4),
378-379.
13References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(2009). Obesity. Retrieved July 18, 2009 from
http//www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html. - Cowdrey, L. (2006). Restaurants Must Do More in
Fight Against U.S. Obesity. Nations Health,
36(6), 23-23. - Heart and Stroke Foundation (2009). Health Check
Helping You Eat Well. Retrieved August 7, 2009
from http//www.heartandstroke.com/site/c.ikIQLcMW
JtE/b.3483961/k.FBE9/Health_Check8482__Designed_to
_help_you_make_healthy_food_choices.htm. - Howard County Health Department (2009).
Implementing a Healthy Restaurant Program.
Retrieved July 19, 2009 from http//www.co.ho.md.u
s/Health/docs/HealthyResToolKit.pdf. - Pinellas County Health Department (2009). Healthy
Choices Restaurant Program. Retrieved July 19,
2009 from http//www.pinellashealth.com/HCRestaura
nts/ForConsumers.asp. - Rockland County Department of Health (2008). Just
Ask Us! Retrieved July 19, 2009 from
http//www.healthierus.gov/STEPS/2006Slides/C4/jac
obson.html. - U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2007). Todays
Special Nutritional Information. Retrieved July
19, 2009 from http//vm.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/fdacmen
u.html.