1
|
Fraser K, Love P, Laws R, Campbell KJ, Spence A. Meal kit subscription services and opportunities to improve family vegetable consumption. Health Promot Int 2023; 38:daad155. [PMID: 37991401 PMCID: PMC10664410 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daad155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Popular commercial meal kit subscription services (MKSSs) may support families to overcome barriers to cooking and eating at home, and facilitate improved vegetable consumption. The global meal kit market has expanded rapidly creating a gap in our understanding of the health-promoting potential of MKSSs. This paper describes the contemporary MKSS market in Australia and provides a vegetable-specific content analysis of a sample of recipes. A 1-week subscription was purchased for all Australian-based MKSSs (n = 9) and websites were systematically reviewed to document key characteristics and recipe features. Vegetable content of all available recipes within a 1-week period were analysed. Our findings highlight the rapid expansion and evolution of MKSS market offerings over the past decade and their potential to support family vegetable consumption. Across all analysed recipes (n = 179), MKSSs provided a median of 2.5 vegetable serves per person (range 0.7-7.5 serves) and a median of 3 different types of vegetables from 2 vegetable subgroups (i.e. dark green, red and orange, starchy, legumes and all other vegetables). This suggests that MKSSs may support family vegetable consumption if families select recipes with a greater number and variety of vegetables. However, an opportunity remains for MKSSs to improve both vegetable quantity and variety to positively influence population health. Further research is required to describe how families use meal kits promoting a greater understanding of their potential to improve family nutrition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kylie Fraser
- Faculty of Health, School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
| | - Penelope Love
- Faculty of Health, School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
| | - Rachel Laws
- Faculty of Health, School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
| | - Karen J Campbell
- Faculty of Health, School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
| | - Alison Spence
- Faculty of Health, School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
- Faculty of Health, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Angelsen A, Starke AD, Trattner C. Healthiness and environmental impact of dinner recipes vary widely across developed countries. NATURE FOOD 2023; 4:407-415. [PMID: 37156979 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00746-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Contrary to food ingredients, little is known about recipes' healthiness or environmental impact. Here we examine 600 dinner recipes from Norway, the UK and the USA retrieved from cookbooks and the Internet. Recipe healthiness was assessed by adherence to dietary guidelines and aggregate health indicators based on front-of-pack nutrient labels, while environmental impact was assessed through greenhouse gas emissions and land use. Our results reveal that recipe healthiness strongly depends on the healthiness indicator used, with more than 70% of the recipes being classified as healthy for at least one front-of-pack label, but less than 1% comply with all dietary guidelines. All healthiness indicators correlated positively with each other and negatively with environmental impact. Recipes from the USA, found to use more red meat, have a higher environmental impact than those from Norway and the UK.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alain D Starke
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- MediaFutures: Research Centre for Responsible Media Technology & Innovation, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Christoph Trattner
- MediaFutures: Research Centre for Responsible Media Technology & Innovation, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Uerling J, Nieckula E, Mico K, Rosas AB, Cohen E, Pachón H. Salt-Containing Recipes in Popular Magazines with the Highest Circulation in the United States Do Not Specify Iodized Salt in the Ingredient List. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4595. [PMID: 36901606 PMCID: PMC10002291 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Iodine deficiency is a public health problem in the US, with the iodine status of women of reproductive age decreasing in recent years. This may be attributable to voluntary salt iodization in the US. Magazines, a common source of recipes and nutritional information, may influence salt use and iodine intake. The aim of this study is to assess whether the magazines with the highest circulation in the US include recipes that contain salt and, if so, whether they specify "iodized salt" in the recipes. Recipes in eight of the top ten magazines by circulation in the US were examined. Standardized information was collected on the presence and type of salt in recipes in the last 12 issues reviewed per magazine. About 73% of the 102 issues reviewed contained recipes. A total of 1026 recipes were surveyed for salt; 48% of the recipes listed salt as an ingredient. None of the 493 recipes containing salt specified iodized salt as the type of salt to be used. About half of the recipes in the last 12 issues of popular magazines published in the US included salt in the ingredient list; however, none recommend the use of iodized salt. There is potential for editorial changes among magazines to call for iodized salt in recipes, which may further prevent iodine deficiency in the US.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Uerling
- Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Emily Nieckula
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Katarina Mico
- Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | - Emmie Cohen
- Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Helena Pachón
- Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| |
Collapse
|