Evaluation of Food Offerings for Workers in Commercial Foodservices from the Perspective of Healthiness and Sustainability

TL;DR

This study examines how food insecurity and poor nutrition among food service workers are linked to unhealthy and unsustainable menus, highlighting the need for better workplace food policies.

Contribution

The study uniquely integrates social, nutritional, and environmental indicators to evaluate workplace food environments and their public health implications.

Findings

53.3% of workers experienced food insecurity, linked to income, education, and household factors.

68.3% of workers were overweight or obese, with higher rates among women.

Menus were high in lipids and sodium, and beef had the highest environmental impact.

Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Examines how food insecurity, excess weight, and meal quality intersect among workers who work in food services, a population often overlooked in public health nutrition.Links workers’ social vulnerability, nutritional status, and menu healthiness/sustainability to broader public health challenges, including non-communicable diseases and inequities in access to adequate food.

Examines how food insecurity, excess weight, and meal quality intersect among workers who work in food services, a population often overlooked in public health nutrition.

Links workers’ social vulnerability, nutritional status, and menu healthiness/sustainability to broader public health challenges, including non-communicable diseases and inequities in access to adequate food.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
High food insecurity and overweight/obesity among workers, alongside menus high in lipids, sodium, and environmental impact, suggesting health risks and inequities.By integrating social, nutritional, and environmental indicators, the study advances understanding of how workplace food environments can support or undermine health.

High food insecurity and overweight/obesity among workers, alongside menus high in lipids, sodium, and environmental impact, suggesting health risks and inequities.

By integrating social, nutritional, and environmental indicators, the study advances understanding of how workplace food environments can support or undermine health.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Urges practitioners to redesign menus and procurement to reduce sodium and lipids, prioritize low-impact proteins, and integrate food security and sustainability.Highlights for researchers the importance of multidimensional approaches for scalable monitoring tools and interventions.

Urges practitioners to redesign menus and procurement to reduce sodium and lipids, prioritize low-impact proteins, and integrate food security and sustainability.

Highlights for researchers the importance of multidimensional approaches for scalable monitoring tools and interventions.

Aims: To evaluate the quality of lunch menus for workers in commercial food services across social, health and environmental sustainability dimensions. Methods: Mixed methods were applied to five restaurants. Data collection included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (EBIA), workers’ nutritional status, nutritional composition of 111 lunch menus, and environmental footprints. Data triangulation integrated caloric–nutritional adequacy, food insecurity, obesity, protein supply, and environmental footprints. Results: We assessed 261 participants (71.6% male; average age 32.3; 53.5% with a high school education). Food insecurity affected 53.3% and was associated with income, education, household composition, and municipality (p < 0.05). Nutritional status (n = 438) showed 68.3% were overweight/obese; obesity affected 42.7% of women and 30.5% of men. Menu analyses (n = 111) showed adequate energy and protein, but excessive lipids and sodium and reduced carbohydrates. Environmental analyses indicated beef had the highest impact; protein type was more influential than quantity, indicating no simple linear nutrition–impact relationship. Conclusion: Widespread food insecurity and obesity co-occurred with menus characterized by excessive lipids, sodium, and beef-driven impacts. The findings highlight that health and sustainability outcomes depend on both menu quality and social context, necessitating integrated, multidimensional policies.

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