Customer’s Food Nutrition Knowledge and Its Influence on Their Menu Choice in Restaurants

Abstract

Today, consumers are more cautious about the food that they eat due to the prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as obesity, cancer, and diabetes. The prevalence of these diseases has sensitized many on the need for healthy eating, which has shifted food approaches and is reflected in the selection of menu items in restaurants. The study sought to establish how consumers’ knowledge about food nutrition influences their menu choices in restaurants based on the Engel-Blackwell-Kollat model. A descriptive research design based on quantitative approach was adapted. A sample size of 330 guests and 15 Food and beverage managers were drawn from the fifteen Three-star hotels in Nairobi County. The primary data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicated that there was a statistically significant and positive relationship between consumer knowledge and food menu selection (r (284) =0.227, p < 0.01). These findings are beneficial to food eatery owners and managers in terms of understanding how changing food approaches influence consumer choice of eateries; thus how they need to address consumers’ needs. Keywords: Nutritional value of foods, traditional food, food nutrition knowledge, menu choice