Baltimore Healthy Carryout Project

Johns Hopkins researchers created the Baltimore Healthy Carryout (BHC) project to address concerns regarding low-income African Americans in Baltimore consuming a significant portion of their calories from carryout facilities or restaurants. These establishments typically provide foods high in calories, sugar, fat, and sodium. BHC staff worked closely with restaurant owners to implement changes to incorporate more healthy foods into their menus gradually over time. By holding discussions with community members, BHC staff members were able to gauge desired healthy foods. These discussions guided the restaurant owners toward culturally and seasonally acceptable side options such as collard greens, watermelon, broth-based soup with vegetables, yogurt, and fruit cups. Carryout restaurants eventually began offering healthy combo meals that matched the price of original combo meals. The project addressed concerns about potential profit loss by helping owners with promotion through the use of more durable signs and aesthetically-improved menu boards and posters that highlighted healthy food choices. BHC brought healthy food options to low-income Baltimore residents in a way that supported existing local businesses.

The goal of the Baltimore Healthy Carryout project was to increase healthy food options at carryout facilities and restaurants in Baltimore's low-income neighborhoods.

The BHC project reached 36.8% more customers during the intervention period than at baseline when comparing intervention carryouts to comparison carryouts. Customers reported purchasing specific foods due to the presence of a photo on the menu board (65.3%) or menu labeling (42.6%).

The BHC project reached 36.8% more customers during the intervention period than at baseline when comparing intervention carryouts to comparison carryouts. Menu boards and labels were seen by 100% and 84.2% of individuals, respectively, at the end of the study compared to baseline. Customers reported purchasing specific foods due to the presence of a photo on the menu board (65.3%) or menu labeling (42.6%).