(P05-016-23) Trends in the Availability and Calorie Content of Menu Items Featuring Different Protein Sources in 76 Large Chain Restaurants in the United States From 2013-2019

Objectives: Large chain restaurants are a key source of food in American diets. While climate-conscious menu options are being increasingly promoted, it is not well understood whether protein availability at large chain restaurants has shifted or if calorie content varies across items with different proteins. This study aimed to examine trends in the availability and calorie content of food items featuring different protein sources on menus of 76 large chain restaurants in the United States (US) from 2013-2019.

Methods: Longitudinal data on menu items from 76 large chain restaurants in the US from 2013-2019 were obtained from MenuStat.org, an online database with menu items (and associated nutrition information) from the largest grossing restaurant chains in the US. Annual counts and proportions of food items featuring different protein sources (beef, pork, chicken/turkey, fish, and vegetarian/vegan) were calculated overall, by food category (e.g. appetizers and sides, main dishes, sandwiches), and by restaurant type (fast food, fast casual, full service). Annual trends and differences in predicted mean calories by main protein source (overall, by menu category, and by restaurant type) were calculated using linear regression models with clustered standard errors.

Results: Overall, there were 20,122 food items on the 76 restaurant menus from 2013-2019 (8,857 in fast food restaurants, 1,878 in fast casual restaurants, and 9,387 in full service restaurants). From 2013-2019, the proportion of beef (20.3% vs. 17.7%) and pork (23.0% vs. 18.4%) menu items decreased; the proportion of chicken/turkey (29.1% vs. 29.7%) and vegetarian/vegan (24.7% vs. 26.1%) menu items increased. Across all years, vegan and vegetarian items had on average 38.9 fewer calories compared to meat, poultry, and fish items (95% CI: -57.0, -20.8, p-value < 0.0001). There were few statistically significant differences over time in calorie content of menu items by protein type.

Conclusions: Large chain restaurants in the US have made some shifts to the composition of their menus that suggests greater availability of more sustainable proteins (e.g. chicken and vegetarian/vegan) sources. Vegan and vegetarian options are also, on average, lower calorie and therefore may have benefits for both planet and population health.

Funding Sources: None