New Orleans Healthy Kids Beverage Menu Ordinance: Does default healthier drinks in kids meals work?
Official title: Evaluation of New Orleans Healthy Kids Beverage Menu Ordinance
Funded at Xavier University of Louisiana · NIH-11324892 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A city policy project tests whether making water, milk, or 100% juice the default drink in kids’ meals reduces sugary drink choices and childhood obesity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Xavier University of Louisiana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | September 24, 2009 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $262,749 |
| NIH project number | 5U54MD007595-19 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324892 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable; this study analyzes restaurant policies and population-level effects rather than enrolling patients.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals or families may not be directly enrolled; benefits depend on broader policy impact rather than personal participation.
What this research studies
This grant studies how well a local ordinance that requires healthier default beverages in children’s meals is implemented and how effective it is in New Orleans. Researchers will track changes in restaurant beverage offerings, measure how many restaurants follow the policy, and analyze which groups are reached by the policy using real-world restaurant menus and a quasi-experimental design. The study uses implementation science frameworks to understand both reach and impact, aiming to inform broader policy efforts to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake. The work integrates data from menus in a sample of New Orleans restaurants and compares them to a similar region over time to identify policy effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could demonstrate a scalable approach to reducing sugary beverage consumption among children through policy and industry practices.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows policy-driven changes in restaurant offerings can influence consumer choices, supporting potential effectiveness in similar settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Knapp, Megan — Xavier University of Louisiana
- Study coordinator: Knapp, Megan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.