Salud Tiene Sabor: Access to healthy foods for Latino families

Introduction: The Smart Menu/La Salud Tiene Sabor evaluation, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Salud America! research program, assesses the impact of a menu labeling initiative among seven independently-owned restaurants in South Los Angeles. The Salud program empowers residents to make healthy food choices for their families via access to healthy menu items, calories boards, and nutrition information. The Salud evaluation is a collaboration of researchers, restaurant owners, community-based organizations and the LA County Public Health Department.

Methodology: The evaluation assesses the effect of menu labeling and access to nutrition information on families' purchase intention and meal choices and on restaurant vendor practices and sales. Evaluation methodologies include patron awareness assessments, environmental assessments, stakeholder surveys, a sales tracking analysis, secondary data analyses, and a media analysis. Results: Interim findings demonstrate patron awareness of and use of menu boards; patron support for access to nutrition information in restaurants; restaurant owner satisfaction with the Sabor program; no notable changes in restaurant owner costs and profits from the program; and availability of menu items that meet accepted nutrition standards.

Discussion: The Sabor evaluation findings show that small, independently owned restaurants in low-income Latino communities are contributing to improving community nutrition environments. The Sabor program establishes a model for non-chain restaurants to take an active role in making nutrition information accessible. The evaluation has the potential in inform and advance policy action to incentivize small restaurant owners to increase the healthfulness of menu items, post calories and provide other nutrition information.