RESUMEN
Objectives@#This study evaluated nutritional quality of convenience store meal boxes according to store company and meal price. @*Methods@#In May 2020, 71 meal boxes from five major convenience store companies were collected. Respective weights of all dishes and food ingredients included in each meal box were measured with a digital scale. Information on nutritional contents was collected from nutrition fact panels on packages. Food group patterns, dietary diversity scores (DDS), and dietary variety scores (DVS) were analyzed. Nutritional contents, i.e., amounts of energy, protein, and sodium, and percentages of energy from carbohydrate, sugar, fat, and saturated fat were compared with respective standards based on the 2020 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans. Comparison was made among five companies (Company A, B, C, D, E) and three price groups ( ≤4,200 won, ≥4,300 and ≤4,500 won, ≥4,600 won). Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the difference of nutritional contents according to company and price, respectively while holding the other variable constant. @*Results@#DDS, but not DVS, significantly differed among companies. The percentages of meal boxes meeting the nutritional standards of sodium significantly differed among companies; the percentage was highest in companies B (75.0%) and C (73.3%). “Company” was associated with amount of energy, protein, and sodium, and percentage of energy from saturated fat. “Price” was associated with the amount of energy and percentage of energy from carbohydrate. The average number of satisfied standards was highest in companies B (5.0) and C (4.0). About two-thirds of the meal boxes provided less amount of energy than the standard; the percentage of such meal boxes was highest in meal boxes with price of 4,200 won or lower. @*Conclusions@#There were significant differences in the nutritional quality of meal boxes according to “company”. Meanwhile, higher-priced meal boxes did not necessarily ensure better nutritional quality.