Restaurant certification programs: Best practices for promoting healthy eating

Introduction

Americans today consume nearly a third of their calories from eating out. Restaurant foods typically contain more calories, saturated fat, and sodium and fewer fruits, vegetables, and whole grains than food consumed from home. As a result, eating out contributes to unhealthy eating and obesity.

Approach

In recent years, states and localities have established voluntary restaurant certification programs where in exchange for offering healthier menu items, restaurants receive publicity and other incentives.  To identify promising practices and inform future policy strategies for creating healthier restaurant options, 21 restaurant certification programs across the U.S. were analyzed, using four criteria: program design, potential public health impact, cost, and sustainability.

Results

Most restaurant certification programs use point-of-purchase labeling combined with outreach and education to promote healthier options. The government programs, which vary in size and nutrition standards, often compete with for-profit programs.  One of the most important factors that influences the program’s public health impact is the required number of certified healthier menu items. Because many government programs are grant-funded, some have struggled to be sustainable. Others lack monitoring and evaluation components.

Discussion

Ensuring the availability of healthy menu options in restaurants is critical to helping adults and children eat better and protecting their health. Restaurants already are required to meet environmental, hygienic, and safety standards.  With obesity and diet-related chronic diseases at record-high rates, restaurants also should protect their customers from the effects of poor nutrition.