Determinantes das escolhas alimentares infantis em restaurantes de fast-food

In recent years people are eating more out home, and children are no exception. Most often, the places chosen to have meals away from home are fast-food restaurants. Generally, foods prepared in this type of restaurant, including children's menus, have a very poor nutritional quality. The behavior that each child has in relation to their food choices is a process that is affected by several determinants of consumption. The main objective of this study is to identify the determinants of children's food choices in fast-food restaurants. To achieve these objectives, an online questionnaire, directed to parents with children aged between 6 and 12 years old, was developed and applied. It was observed that for children, the determinant factors in choosing the fast-food restaurant and the meal consumed were, in order of importance: the offer of a collectible / promotional toy, the options available and the pleasant taste of the meal. For parents, the most relevant factors when choosing the fast-food restaurant and the consumed children's meal were the convenience of the place, the affordable price, the pleasant taste and the health concerns, respectively. There were some contradictory results that were indicative of parents' illiteracy in terms of food and nutrition, which also highlighted the need to apply measures to encourage the choice of healthier children's meals in fast-food restaurants. The results of this study show the need to reformulate and develop balanced children's meals without compromising palatability, associating these balanced options with the offer of collectible gifts.