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Calories on menus and that ‘Friday feeling’

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2016

M. Clements ,
O. Feehan ,
K. McElroy ,
B. Griffin ,
B.E. Cronin ,
F.E. Douglas ,
O.C. Lyons  and
M.A.T. Flynn
M. Clements
Affiliation:
Public Health Nutrition, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin 1, Republic of Ireland
O. Feehan
Affiliation:
Public Health Nutrition, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin 1, Republic of Ireland
K. McElroy
Affiliation:
Public Health Nutrition, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin 1, Republic of Ireland
B. Griffin
Affiliation:
Public Health Nutrition, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin 1, Republic of Ireland
B.E. Cronin
Affiliation:
Public Health Nutrition, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin 1, Republic of Ireland
F.E. Douglas
Affiliation:
Public Health Nutrition, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin 1, Republic of Ireland
O.C. Lyons
Affiliation:
Public Health Nutrition, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin 1, Republic of Ireland Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK
M.A.T. Flynn
Affiliation:
Public Health Nutrition, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin 1, Republic of Ireland Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, UK
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Abstract

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Abstract
Information
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 75 , Issue OCE3: Summer Meeting, 11–14 July 2016, New technology in nutrition research and practice , 2016 , E89
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2016 

Calorie menu labelling (CML) increases awareness of the caloric content of food and helps consumers choose foods with fewer calories(Reference Nikolaou, Hankey and Lean1). Food choices vary from day to day, especially at weekends (including Fridays), where calorie intakes tend to be higher(Reference Rupoeng2). This study examines the effect of CML, taking into account day of the week.

Calories per portion of food served for breakfast (set daily menu) and lunch (variable daily menu, three week menu cycle) in a hospital staff and visitor canteen were calculated using MenuCal®(3). Consumer food choices were recorded for both meals on five days (Monday-Friday) of the same menu cycle, over four different time points - November 2014 (Pre CML), January 2015 (2 months Post CML), November 2015 (12 months Post CML) and January 2016 (14 months Post CML). Median calories purchased at each time point were examined for differences according to day of the week and gender. Median calories purchased on each day of the week, at all time points were compared with Pre CML.

CML: Calorie Menu Labelling

*p < 0·05,**p < 0·01,***p < 0·001; significantly different compared with Pre CML (Mann-Whitney U)

† p < 0·01, †† p < 0·001; significantly different between Monday and Friday within each time point

As shown in the table, compared with Pre CML median calories purchased were significantly lower every day at 14 months Post CML. This 14 month effect was evident in males, except on Tuesday, and in females except for Wednesday and Friday (data not shown). At all time points Post CML median calories purchased on Mondays were significantly lower compared with Fridays (see table). Compared with Pre CML, Monday was the only day where median calories purchased were significantly lower at each time point examined.

In conclusion, this study shows that CML reduces calories purchased on Mondays more than any other week day. The longer that CML is in place, the more effective it is at reducing calories purchased, regardless of day of the week. CML creates a marked difference between calories purchased on Mondays compared with Fridays. This ‘Friday feeling’ is more evident in women.

References

1.Nikolaou, CK, Hankey, CR and Lean, MEJ (2016) Eur J Clin Nutr 70, 386–392.Google Scholar
2.Rupoeng, AN, (2016) Ann Epidemiol 26, 57–65.Google Scholar
3.MenuCal®. Available from: www.menucal.ie (Accessed Oct 2015).Google Scholar