Nutrient composition of Australian fast-food and fast-casual children's meals available in 2016 and changes in fast-food meals between 2010 and 2016.

Objective: A quarter of Australian children are overweight or obese. Research conducted in 2010 found that fast-food children's meals were energy-dense and nutrient-poor. Since then, menu labelling and self-regulation of marketing have been introduced in Australia. The present study aimed to: (i) investigate the nutrient composition of children's meals offered at fast-food chains; (ii) compare these with children's daily requirements and recommendations and the food industry's own criteria for healthier children's meals; and (iii) determine whether results have changed since last investigated in 2010.

Design: An audit of nutrition information for fast-food children's meals was conducted. Meals were compared with 30 % (recommended contribution for a meal) and 100 % of children's daily recommendations and requirements. A comparative analysis was conducted to determine if the proportion of meals that exceeded meal requirements and recommendations, and compliance with the food industry's own criteria, changed between 2010 and 2016.

Setting: Large Australian fast-food chains.

Participants: All possible children's meal combinations.

Results: Overall, 289 children's meals were included. Most exceeded 30 % of daily recommendations and requirements for a 4-year-old's energy, saturated fat, sugars and Na. Results were also substantial for 8- and 13-year-olds, particularly for Na. When compared with mean energy and nutrient contents from 2010, there were minimal changes overall.

Conclusions: Children's meals can provide excess energy, saturated fat, sugar and Na to children's diets. Systematic reformulation of energy, saturated fat, sugars and Na would improve the nutrient composition of the meals.