19 June, 2019

New research carried out by Cork Institute of Technology and the University of Roehampton (UK) has found that up to 68% of children’s meals in restaurants contain more calories and saturated fat than recommended health guidelines.

The study, published in the 'Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour', raised alarming issues over children's diet and the fact that so many families are now choosing to eat out rather than dine at home.

The research team examined children’s menus from 20 popular restaurant chains in Ireland and the UK, analysing over 39,000 meal combinations to ascertain if children’s meals in restaurants measured up to British dietary recommendations.

The study found meals in chain restaurants were generally too energy-dense, contained too much saturated fat and had too much salt for both older and younger children.

The research additionally found comparing meal deals and the single main course highlighted the extent to which additional courses and drinks contribute to the energy content of a meal.

By choosing the meal deal option, seen as more convenient and cheaper, parents are unknowingly ordering meals that exceed dietary recommendations.

Researchers discovered the average meal for children aged two to five contained 609 calories and for older children 653 calories, compared with guidelines of 364 and 550 respectively.

This research raises alarm bells for the future health of the nation, with an estimated 60% of adults and 25% of children in Ireland overweight or obese.

The study comes ahead of Minister for Health Simon Harris intention to publish legislation by the end of 2019 requiring restaurants in Ireland to display calorie counts on menus as part of the Government’s obesity action plan.

Dr Tara Coppinger of the Department of Sport, Leisure & Childhood Studies at CIT and one of the authors of the research said their findings indicate a worrying trend of young children eating increasingly unhealthy food.

“While the sugar sweetened drinks tax that came into effect in 2018 was a positive step to help improve the quality of food and drink on offer, this study proves that there is still a lot of work to be done in many of the country’s most popular restaurants”, Dr Coppinger added.

Dr Coppinger is also the founding director of Project Spraoi, Ireland’s first ever, fully evaluated, nutrition and physical activity intervention. Project Spraoi has been piloted in the Cork region since 2013 reaching over 2000 primary schoolchildren.

In February earlier this year, Project Spraoi was awarded the Best International Research Project Collaboration Award, for its partnership with Auckland University of Technology NZ at The Education Awards, in Dublin.

Dr Mai O’Leary, also from CIT’s Department of Sport, Leisure & Childhood Studies presented on the two-year outcomes Project Spraoi at the International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity Conference in Prague earlier this month.

Dr O’Leary and her team are currently carrying out a cost-effective analysis estimate of the project which is averaging at intervention cost of €31 per child per child per year, cheaper that the cost of the average GP visit.