Since the beginning of time, there has been a rapid advancement and development of the catering and fast food industries in today’s society. Therefore, it is very important to provide a general awareness of the role of nutrition education in catering and fast food companies. Olatunji (2013) explains in detail the role of nutrition education, such as familiarizing consumers with fast food and catering products for enlightenment of food therapy of consumers and individuals, and explaining the dangers of malnutrition when planning the menu and making menu choices (Iyiola, 2011).
An unhealthy diet is, in fact, a key risk factor for NCDs. An example is that inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and various types of cancer. According to this definition, the ultimate goal of nutrition education is to change behavior.
Therefore, in this chapter, a critical review of the existing literature related to the study, including research papers and projects from magazines, books, and electronic resources, was cited with the aim of revealing contributions and gaps in the study.
Knowledge of nutrition and healthy foods
The definition of a healthy food varies greatly depending on who is explaining it, but from one point of view, it is one with a higher nutritional value or one with low- or low-calorie options that provide numerous health benefits.
A public health agency report (2001) showed that the term “healthy eating” meant cutting back on fried or fatty foods, with 51% of respondents also saying “eat lots of fruit, vegetables, and salad.” A quarter (25%) thought the term “healthy eating” meant eating fiber or cutting back on sugar, cakes, and sweets. Adults in the nonsocial group (59%) were more likely to say they had reduced their fat intake. Although the benefits of healthy eating have been verified, food choice behavior is a difficult process that involves several variables.
Increased nutrition knowledge is associated with positive eating behavior (Wardle, 2000). Available evidence suggests that knowledge alone is not enough to influence eating behavior and that mediating factors, such as access to the target food, must also be present for behavior change to be successful (Hoffman, 2011). However, the association between knowledge and behavior change supports the use of a nutrition education component in interventions that seek to impact food choices. According to Ha, Caine-Bish, Holloman & Lowry-Gordon (2009), who investigated the effect of a basic nutrition course on the consumption of soft drinks and nonfat milk, measured beverage consumption at the beginning and end of a 15-week period. Intervention with three-day self-reported food records Although the results of this study were promising for the use of nutrition education as a behavior modifier, the research was unable to say whether the improvements in food choices were due to the students’ underlying motivation combined with the intervention or to the intervention alone. intervention. It is imperative that this study find other factors that also affect food choices. The researchers were unable to say whether their improvements in food choices were due to the students’ underlying motivation combined with the intervention or the intervention alone. It is imperative that this study find other factors that also affect food choices. The research could not say whether their improvements in food choices were due to the students’ underlying motivation combined with the intervention or the intervention alone. It is imperative that this study find other factors that also affect food choices.
Conceptualization of Nutritional Education
As already noted, nutrition education in its broad sense has three components: providing information through communication strategies (e.g., information campaigns, dietary advice in health settings), providing skills that enable consumers to act on the information provided, that is, cultivation and cooking, and providing a conducive food environment, in the sense of marketing to children and making different foods available (Contento, 2011).
Nutrition education can be delivered through multiple settings by multiple stakeholders and involves activities at individual, institutional, community, and policy levels. This is consistent with the environment-based approach to health promotion, based on the premise that “people create and experience health in the environments of their daily lives, where they learn, work, play, and love” (WHO, 1986). Nutrition education actions take place in different settings, including places where food is produced (example: agricultural fields), sold (e.g., retailers, food service establishments, public sector catering in schools, workplaces, etc.), consumed (e.g., households), and where information and education on education and nutrition are provided.
The style of nutrition education can also vary, involving the public sector, the private sector, the civil sector, and public-private initiatives. Actions can involve a wide range of different foods and nutrients, from fruits and vegetables to dairy products, from dietary fiber to fat, or in general, healthy eating. There are four key variables in nutrition education actions: the environment, the food and nutrients. In practice, it is difficult to separate nutrition actions into these specific categories because they tend to be interrelated. One example is that they can involve both the provision of information and the changing of the environment, in both the public and private sectors, and take place in a variety of settings. But nevertheless,
Customers eat with their eyes, so the food must be appetizing and impress both the eye and the palate (Magoulas, 2009). The appearance and presentation of food affect our tastes, moods, and interior comfort levels. This is why restaurant owners need to stimulate taste by creating meals that taste good, are healthy, and look amazing. According to McCall and Lynn (2008), the menu is the most important tool and is the purest form of a restaurant’s strategic marketing plan. Menus drive the process for diners to enter restaurants; they serve as a first impression and can tell a lot about the point of sale. Menu design is directly related to and influences how customers perceive things. The location of menu items, graphics, and descriptions informs and sends messages to customers about what they should order (Panitz, 2000). Its objective is to promote the perception of value for customers and help provide more guidance on what to choose (McCall & Lynn, 2008). At the same time, there is a clear need for restaurants to find better ways to display information, but at the same time, they need to avoid visual overload and clutter. For these reasons, they say it would be more beneficial to include nutritional information and images on restaurant menus and related menus and cards. (Thomas & Mills, 2006). 2008). At the same time, there is a clear need for restaurants to find better ways to display information, but at the same time, they need to avoid visual overload and clutter. For these reasons, they say it would be more beneficial to include nutritional information and images on restaurant menus and related menus and cards (Thomas & Mills, 2006). 2008). At the same time, there is a clear need for restaurants to find better ways to display information, but at the same time, they need to avoid visual overload and clutter. For these reasons, they say it would be more beneficial to include nutritional information and images on restaurant menus and related menus and cards (Thomas & Mills, 2006).
Nutrition information is rarely offered in restaurants today, but there is a demand as more people become aware of healthier options. People are more aware of what they choose to eat, and this leads to the potential impact of allowing people to be more informed and health-conscious about what they consume. Recently, much attention has been focused on the epidemic of obesity and other health problems related to the food people eat (Jones, 2009). Not enough is known about this information on menus, hence the idea of how health icons, images, and nutritional information could influence customer choices. The focus is on the fact that more people are eating out, which affects their health and weight.
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