Food eaten outside the home makes up an increasing proportion of family diets, and children’s restaurant menus can play an important role in shaping food choices. In Northern Ireland, previous Food Standards Agency research had shown that children’s menus offered limited choice and few healthy options, with vegetables served with only around a quarter of meals analysed. 

Harlow Consulting was commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to lead this Northern Ireland research, which examined strategies to improve children’s menu offerings in restaurant settings. The work was designed to help the FSA in Northern Ireland build an evidence base for future action to create a healthier food environment for children. 

Our team delivered a rapid evidence assessment (REA) exploring the effectiveness of restaurant-based initiatives to improve the nutritional content of children’s meals and encourage parents and children to choose healthier options. The research also considered what motivates food businesses to take part in menu improvement initiatives, the barriers to participation, and whether existing evidence had examined impacts on profitability or food waste. 

The methodology used a systematic search process across SCOPUS, PubMed and the Cochrane Library, covering studies published between 2014 and 2024. 

The literature review found that community initiatives, where restaurant owners and intervention teams worked closely together, showed promise in helping restaurants improve the nutritional quality of children’s meals. It also found that toy incentives and healthier default options could be effective in influencing parents and children to order healthier restaurant meals. 

The final report provided the FSA with a clear synthesis of current evidence and practical insight into which strategies may be most promising for future policy and intervention design. It highlighted the value of collaborative, locally grounded approaches and the need for further research in the UK and Northern Ireland context.