Restaurant and café activity sheets may help children eat their greens
Written by Colour Heroes: We were excited to read the findings of new research, which shows that brands can encourage children to eat their greens!
Research by the University at Buffalo has shown that children who are exposed to restaurant activity sheets, or menus advertising healthy food alongside fun images and games, are significantly more likely to order healthy meals.
The study showed that 18% of children who were given the sheets chose healthier meals, compared to just 7% who were exposed to a normal dining setting. The children who chose the healthier food options consumed less saturated fat across their total meal.
As we know, consuming healthier meals reduces a child’s saturated fat intake and the lead author, Dr Stephanie Anzman-Frasca from the University at Buffalo, said: “Many families eat food from restaurants on a regular basis. Making healthy options appealing and easy to choose offers families the potential to increase children’s acceptance of them in restaurants.”
The study analysed 58 children aged between four and eight years old. The children and their parents visited a local restaurant chain and were given a voucher to revisit the restaurant within two weeks. On their second visit, half of the children were given activity sheets advertising healthier food options. These meals were shown alongside fun games, puzzles and images, as well as activities such as word searches.
These results suggest that restaurants can help promote healthier eating amongst children by featuring healthier items more prominently on menus and kids’ resources, which are viewed prior to ordering. At the same time, there is room for future efforts to build on the current results, aiming to normalise healthy options in restaurants further and nudge even more children towards healthier choices.”
The in-house design and illustration team here at Colour Heroes work with numerous restaurant brands, including Harvester, Prezzo and The Diner, to create bespoke activity sheets and packs for their younger diners to enjoy, and healthy eating is often a topic discussed, alongside brand, in the development stages.
MD, Lorraine Bentley, says: “We are keen to work with brands who recognise, as we do, that we have the perfect opportunity to educate our young diners about healthy eating choices, whilst entertaining them with high-quality ‘at table’ activity sheets and packs.
Obesity is becoming a chronic problem in our adult population and educating youngsters about food, different cultures and the dozens of new food concepts, whilst children are being entertained in an engaging, fun way is our aim. New research backs our belief and it will be music to many brands’ ears to know that we share their passion for food and its provenance, preparation and enjoyment.”
Written by Colour Heroes. Exhibiting at lunch! 2017 on stand F85.
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Notes:
The findings were presented at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behaviour conference in Montreal.
Information on the research and quotes were taken from the following article published by Daily Mail – 18th July 2017: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4706844/Placemats-help-children-eat-greens.html
