The Use of Common Symbols to Identify Healthy Food Options at Community Restaurants

1
The Use of Common Symbols to Identify Healthy
Food Options at Community Restaurants

• Jenni Wolfenbarger
• Walden University
• PUBH-6165-01

2
Learning 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

3
Introduction

• 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.

4
Consumers 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.

5
How 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.

6
Healthy 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.

7
Take 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.

8
Just 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.

9
Examples 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
10
Recommendations

• 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.

11
Recommendations 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.

12
Sources 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.

13
References

• 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.