Value-less Meals

Posted By elissa on Mar 14, 2011 | 2 comments

Not too long ago, I stopped into one of the local Quiznos with the Girl Child after I picked her up from school – she’d missed lunch, and wanted to get a sandwich to take home. She ordered her favorite: a half “Oven Roasted Turkey.” The gal behind the counter then asked if she wanted it with chips and a drink as part of a combo meal. She looked pretty surprised when Nick turned the offer down. But this is par for the course when we hit a fast food restaurant… we order only what we want, with no add-ons, regardless if there’s a savings involved. Most of the time, it’s junk, anyway.

And according to a study from Duke University, that’s the right way to think about it.

These meals add more than just fries and a soft drink to cost-conscious consumers’ meals; they also provide more calories than diners might expect.

Sharpe’s and Staelin’s findings, published in the fall issue of the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, indicate consumers respond positively to the perceived cost-savings and the simplified ordering process of a value meal versus á la carte options. These findings occur even when there is no cost savings associated with choosing the combo meal.

“The perceived value of a bundled meal encourages consumers to super-size their orders,” Staelin said. “Our study found 26 percent of participants increased the size of the meal bundle when given the combo meal option, consuming more than 100 additional calories per meal compared to a la carte menu items at the same prices.”

Why eat extra (unhealthy!) food just because it seems like a bargain? Even if you save money, you could end up paying a higher price in the long run. Value meals are no value, when it comes to your waistline or health.