New research suggests that reordering restaurant menus to list lower-calorie options first can encourage teenagers to make healthier meal choices.

A study from the University of Birmingham and Aston University, published in the journal Appetite, found that positioning main course options from lowest to highest calorie content significantly influenced adolescent food selecions. The research also showed that reducing the number of high-calorie meal options further encouraged healthier choices.

How menu design affects choices

With childhood obesity rates rising, policymakers and health experts are exploring new strategies to promote healthier eating among young people. Restaurants are a common dining setting for teenagers, with one in five eating out at least once a week.

Dr Katie Edwards, Research Fellow in Psychology and lead author of the study, explained:

Study findings

The study involved 432 teenagers aged 13-17, who took part in an online experiment. They viewed restaurant menus containing five starters, ten main courses, and five desserts, mimicking a real dining experience.

Researchers tested four menu versions:

• A standard menu (control group)
• A menu listing meals from least to most calorific
• A menu with fewer high-calorie options
• A menu combining both changes

Both strategies reduced overall calorie intake. The average meal’s calorie count dropped from 2099.78 kcal to 1992.13 kcal when meals were ordered from lowest to highest calorie content. Reducing high-calorie options had a larger impact, lowering calories from 2134.26 kcal to 1956.18 kcal. The combined approach resulted in the biggest drop, from 2173.60 kcal to 1884.44 kcal.

Main courses most affected

Reordering meals had the biggest impact on main course choices, while reducing high-calorie options mainly influenced starters. Interestingly, neither intervention significantly changed dessert selections.

Dr James Reynolds, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Aston University, highlighted the potential benefits:

“Restaurants already display calorie information, and our research suggests simple menu design tweaks could further support healthier choices. Next, we aim to test this in real restaurant settings.”