TY - JOUR

T1 - Effectiveness of a Canteen Take Away concept in promoting healthy eating patterns among employees

AU - Lassen, Anne Dahl

AU - Ernst, Lotte

AU - Poulsen, Sanne

AU - Andersen, Klaus Kaae

AU - Hansen, Gitte L

AU - Biltoft-Jensen, Anja

AU - Tetens, Inge

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of a relatively novel concept of providing employees with healthy ready-to-heat meals to bring home to their families, here referred to as Canteen Take Away (CTA).DESIGN: Employees' dietary intake on two weekdays when they received free CTA was compared with that on weekdays when they did not receive CTA. Four non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls were applied to assess dietary intake on a daily basis. Moreover, a digital photographic method was used to assess evening meal intake for three consecutive weeks. Data were analysed using a mixed-effects model.SETTING: A financial worksite offering CTA.SUBJECTS: Twenty-seven employees.RESULTS: Overall dietary quality as expressed by the energy density of the food (excluding beverages) was found to be significantly lower on days consuming CTA meals compared to days not consuming CTA with regard to evening meal intake (average difference: -187 (95 % CI -225, -149) kJ/100 g) and on a daily basis (average difference: -77 (95 % CI -132, -21) kJ/100 g). Other favourable differences included increased vegetable intake (average difference: 83 (95 % CI 67, 98) g/evening meal, 109 (95 % CI 62, 155) g/d).CONCLUSION: The present study shows that providing healthy take-away dinners has potential for promoting healthy dietary habits among employees. This reinforces the importance of availability and convenience as effective tools to promote healthy eating habits.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of a relatively novel concept of providing employees with healthy ready-to-heat meals to bring home to their families, here referred to as Canteen Take Away (CTA).DESIGN: Employees' dietary intake on two weekdays when they received free CTA was compared with that on weekdays when they did not receive CTA. Four non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls were applied to assess dietary intake on a daily basis. Moreover, a digital photographic method was used to assess evening meal intake for three consecutive weeks. Data were analysed using a mixed-effects model.SETTING: A financial worksite offering CTA.SUBJECTS: Twenty-seven employees.RESULTS: Overall dietary quality as expressed by the energy density of the food (excluding beverages) was found to be significantly lower on days consuming CTA meals compared to days not consuming CTA with regard to evening meal intake (average difference: -187 (95 % CI -225, -149) kJ/100 g) and on a daily basis (average difference: -77 (95 % CI -132, -21) kJ/100 g). Other favourable differences included increased vegetable intake (average difference: 83 (95 % CI 67, 98) g/evening meal, 109 (95 % CI 62, 155) g/d).CONCLUSION: The present study shows that providing healthy take-away dinners has potential for promoting healthy dietary habits among employees. This reinforces the importance of availability and convenience as effective tools to promote healthy eating habits.

KW - Adult

KW - Diet

KW - Employment

KW - Energy Intake

KW - Family

KW - Fast Foods

KW - Feeding Behavior

KW - Female

KW - Food Preferences

KW - Food Services

KW - Health Behavior

KW - Health Promotion

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Outcome Assessment (Health Care)

KW - Vegetables

KW - Workplace

KW - Comparative Study

KW - Evaluation Studies

KW - Worksite

KW - Dinner meals

KW - Nutrition

U2 - 10.1017/S1368980011001431

DO - 10.1017/S1368980011001431

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21729459

VL - 15

SP - 452

EP - 458

JO - Public Health Nutrition

JF - Public Health Nutrition

SN - 1368-9800

IS - 3

ER -