title: Nutritional quality of food items on fast-food 'kids' menus': comparisons across countries and companies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare energy (calories), total and saturated fats, and Na levels for 'kids' menu' food items offered by four leading multinational fast-food chains across five countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  A content analysis was used to create a profile of the nutritional content of food items on kids' menus available for lunch and dinner in four leading fast-food chains in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Food items from kids' menus were included from four fast-food companies: Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), McDonald's and Subway. These fast-food chains were selected because they are among the top ten largest multinational fast-food chains for sales in 2010, operate in high-income English-speaking countries, and have a specific section of their restaurant menus labelled 'kids' menus'.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results by country indicate that kids' menu foods contain less energy (fewer calories) in restaurants in the USA and lower Na in restaurants in the UK. The results across companies suggest that kids' menu foods offered at Subway restaurants are lower in total fat than food items offered at Burger King and KFC, and food items offered at KFC are lower in saturated fat than items offered at Burger King.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the reasons for the variation in the nutritional quality of foods on kids' menus are not clear, it is likely that fast-food companies could substantially improve the nutritional quality of their kids' menu food products, translating to large gains for population health.
authors.affiliation: 1Health Promotion Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention,Public Health Ontario,480 University Avenue,Suite 300,Toronto,ON M5G 1V2,Canada.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hobin
authors.affiliation: 3Propel Centre for Population Health Impact,University of Waterloo,Waterloo,ON,Canada.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: 4Public Health Ontario,Toronto,ON,Canada.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1Health Promotion Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention,Public Health Ontario,480 University Avenue,Suite 300,Toronto,ON M5G 1V2,Canada.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: 1Health Promotion Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention,Public Health Ontario,480 University Avenue,Suite 300,Toronto,ON M5G 1V2,Canada.
authors.forename: Mary Fodor
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: 2School of Public Health and Health Systems,University of Waterloo,Waterloo,ON,Canada.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hammond
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D002149:Energy Intake; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D005515:Food Labeling; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D062409:Lunch; D062407:Meals; D009520:New Zealand; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012147:Restaurants; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D012982:Sodium, Dietary