Menu planners’ adherence to nutritional guidelines in menu planning in Osu, Ghana

Nutrition is a critical element in menu planning. Despite its important role, few empirical studies have attempted to link nutrition to menu planning. This paper explores the extent to which nutritional issues are considered in menu planning and menu planners’ adherence to nutritional guidelines. The study adopted an exploratory approach, using in-depth interviews to explore and collect qualitative data for the study. Four main themes were identified from the analysis: nutrition principles in menu planning, customers’ nutritional needs, the pyramid and the 3 food steps, and the adherence to requirements in nutritional guidelines. The menu planners’ knowledge on nutrition was mostly based on past experiences and learning on-the-job rather than the recommendation given in nutrition books or by expert. The study revealed that adherence to nutritional guidelines is almost overlooked when planning restaurant menus. This is as a result of the deficiency in nutrition awareness. This study, therefore, suggests that restaurant operators should create avenues for their kitchen staff to upgrade their knowledge in food and nutrition. There is also the need for dietitians to work closely together with foodservice operators to create and modify recipes that meet dietary guidelines.