American diners prefer meals that offer the most nutrition for the calories

Sep 3 2009

When dining out, 65 percent of Americans prefer to see nutritional information on a restaurant menu over calories alone. As several cities around the country adapt to menu-labeling mandates that require restaurants to post calorie-counts on their menu, it is yet to be determined if it will have the desired impact on consumer behavior and therefore overall public health. In fact, according to a new Guiding Stars survey, 65 percent of Americans prefer to see nutritional information through either the Nutrition Facts Panel (38 percent) or a good-better-best rating system (27 percent) over just calorie count (17 percent).

An Easy-to-Use Restaurant Menu Nutrition Profiling System

When you consider that, according to the survey, over one-quarter of Americans (28 percent) found the Nutrition Facts Panel exhausting to read, many diners clearly seek a more simplified tool to help them easily identify the meals that offer the most nutrition for the calories. Guiding Stars nutrition navigation system is an at-a-glance program that evaluates each recipe for its nutrient density and provides a good-better-best rating of zero-to-three stars.

Guiding Stars first launched in grocery stores in 2006, the first system of its kind, and has since expanded into commercial food service. The system credits all menu items based on the presence of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and whole grains, and debits for the presence of trans fat, saturated fats, cholesterol, added sugars and added sodium. Food items are then awarded zero, one, two or three stars – one star means good nutritional value; two stars, better nutritional value; and three stars, the best nutritional value, providing consumers with a more holistic view of the content of their food choices, versus calorie count alone.

“Cities across the country are considering the public health impact of menu labeling, but our research shows that Americans are looking for more than just calorie-counts,” said John Eldredge, director of brand and business development at Guiding Stars Licensing Company. “Consumers are seeking an easy-to-use method to find wholesome meal options at their favorite restaurants, and Guiding Stars offers the solution, making it simple to identify menu-items that offer the most nutrition for the calories.”