Meal deals, combos and bundling: the impact on the nutrition composition of children’s meals in restaurants

Abstract

Increased consumption of food outside the home means that the nutritional content of meals served in restaurants now makes a significant contribution to overall diet. Children’s menus in restaurants, usually aimed at those aged 10 years and younger, are frequently high in energy, fat, salt, sugar and lack variety. The food and drink on children’s menus are often bundled together as a combo or meal deal that may be convenient to order and sometimes, but not always, cheaper. Bundling has the potential to add additional foods that may not have been selected individually thus increasing the amount ordered and consumed. Substituting some meal deal items for healthier options has the potential to make it easier to eat well when eating outside the home and improve dietary intakes. However, the impact of such measures on child health has yet to be fully explored.