Portioning meat and vegetables in four different out of home settings: A win-win for guests, chefs and the planet. (1st April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Reinders, Machiel J.; van Lieshout, Lilou; Pot, Gerda K.; Neufingerl, Nicole; van den Broek, Eva; Battjes-Fries, Marieke; Heijnen, Joris
• Is Part Of: Appetite. Volume 147(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-04-01
• Subjects: Vegetables -- Meat -- Portion size -- Real-life intervention study -- Environmental impact -- Healthy diet -- Restaurant -- Plant-forward diet; Food habits -- Periodicals; Appetite -- Periodicals; Appetite disorders -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 306.4613
• DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.104539
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0195-6663

Abstract

Abstract: Individuals increasingly consume their meals away from home. This article describes a series of studies that examined the effects of meals with reduced amounts of meat and increased amounts of vegetables on food consumption, waste and guest satisfaction in four real-life restaurant settings in the Netherlands: an a-la-carte restaurant, six company canteens, a self-service restaurant, and a buffet restaurant, including nearly 1500 participants in total. The four studies in these four different out of home settings consistently showed that adapting portion sizes of meat and vegetables was effective to reduce meat consumption and increase vegetable consumption, while maintaining high guest satisfaction. Guest satisfaction even increased when vegetables were presented and prepared in a more attractive and tasty way. Thus, adapting portion sizes of meat and vegetables provides a viable strategy to stimulate healthy and environmentally sustainable consumption patterns in out of home settings.