Comparison of buffet and a la carte serving at worksite canteens on nutrient intake and fruit and vegetable consumption.

摘要

Studies were conducted to evaluate the nutritional composition of worksite canteen lunches in Denmark and to examine the impact of 2 meal serving systems on employee intake, i.e. buffet style with a fixed price for a varied number of dishes and 'a la carte' style with a separate price for each item on the menu. Laboratory technicians observed employees' food selection and collected identical dishes. Food items were weighed separately to calculate the content of fruit and vegetables. The content of protein, fat and ash of each dish was chemically analysed and the carbohydrate and energy content calculated. 15 randomly chosen worksite canteens in Denmark were used: 8 canteens serving buffet style and 7 canteens with an 'a la carte' line. 180 randomly chosen employees having lunch at the worksite canteens were the subjects. The average percentage energy from fat was 37 +or- 12 among men and 33 +or- 12 among women. No association was found between meal serving system and energy intake or macronutrient composition. Eating at canteens serving buffet style foods, on the other hand, was associated with an increased intake of fruit and vegetables, on average 76 g, and a lower energy density of foods for both genders. Results highlight the possibilities of promoting healthy food choices in the catering sector and the need to identify models of healthy catering practice. Serving buffet style food appears to be a promising strategy in order to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in food served away from home.