Nutrition Initiative for Small Chain Restaurants (NISCR)

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Nutrition Initiative for Small Chain Restaurants (NISCR) Project Summary/Abstract To help combat obesity and diet-related diseases prevalent in the U.S., the proposed project will develop a program that enables and encourages small chain restaurants to (1) serve a selection of "healthier" menu items and provide corresponding nutrition information and (2) promote the selected menu items in various ways. Many of the large and moderate-sized chain restaurants have nutrition analyses for their menu items, whereas most small chain and independent restaurants - which represent 80 percent of all U.S. restaurant locations - do not. The project's long- term goals are to (1) develop and expand a vehicle through which small chain and independent restaurants are "incentivized" to offer and promote a selection of healthful options and (2) assist Americans in identifying and choosing healthful restaurant meals. This proposed initiative focuses on providing computerized nutrition analysis for "healthier" menu items at a set of test restaurants and developing a "Toolkit" of promotional strategies specifically tailored for small chain and independent restaurants. These strategies will be designed to guide participating restaurants in promoting their selected "healthier" menu items to consumers (1) within the restaurant setting, (2) in the community, and (3) to the media. During Phase I, (1) three to five "test" restaurants will be recruited, (2) [surveys of health educators will be collected to obtain feedback about how best to work with "community partners" to help promote healthier restaurant meals, (3)] the "Toolkit" of strategies will be developed, [4] guidance in implementing the Toolkit strategies will be provided to the test restaurants, and [5] the longer-term feasibility of the program will be tested by evaluating (a) [willingness of community health educators to help promote healthier restaurant meals,] (b) the restaurants' success in implementing the Toolkit strategies, (c) sales of the healthier menu items, (d) restaurant operator satisfaction with the program, and (e) diners' feedback The expected long-term outcome is a program through which (1) small chain and independent restaurants help to support the health of the community and benefit from doing so, and (2) Americans have greater access to healthier choices at the nation's small chain and independent restaurants. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Obesity and poor nutrition contribute significantly to four of the ten leading causes of death in the United States (cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes) and cost an estimated $200 billion in health care costs each year. The fact that Americans are eating restaurant-prepared foods four to five times per week, along with the fact that restaurant meals tend to be less healthful and larger than meals prepared at home, contribute significantly to the health problems stated above. Therefore, it is increasingly important for overall public health that restaurants provide and promote healthier meals, and that Americans [be able to identify and] choose these meals when dining out.