As recruiters in the hospitality industry, we are seeing more “healthy” restaurant chains emerging as well as more “healthy” choices added to the menus of our current favorite restaurants. After researching this trend, I found that an actual study has been recently completed. The findings are below as reported in an article in Nation’s Restaurant News.
Number of dishes labeled as “healthy” jumped 65% from last year
Data released Wednesday by the Chicago-based market research firm found the number of menu items that restaurants labeled as “healthy” increased 65 percent from the second quarter of 2009 through the second quarter of 2010.
The study also found the number of menu items featuring fruits or vegetables increased 10 percent between the second quarter of 2007 and the second quarter of 2010. Menu items labeled as vegetarian increased 12 percent during that same three-year period.
Mintel said it monitored 350 of the largest chain restaurants, 200 independent restaurants and 25 beverage-centric restaurants for the study.
In another study that polled 2,000 adults online, respondents told Mintel they were eating more healthfully when dining out, and ordering more fruits and vegetables when choosing their menu items.
“Healthy menu development opportunity exists in providing vegetable and seafood appetizers, soups, salads and entrées,” said Eric Giandelone, director of food research at Mintel. “An added bonus in offering these ingredients is if [they are] prepared thoughtfully, they will naturally cut down on the fat and calories of a menu item, making it a more favorable choice for their patrons.”
Giandelone also said operators should follow guidelines recommended last month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which urged restaurants to pay more attention to creating healthful kids’ menus in order to fight the nation’s childhood obesity epidemic.
“Restaurants should start considering how they’re going to make kids’ menus healthier,” Giandelone said. “It’s important to get feedback from both parents and kids to provide a healthy balance on the menu that kids will want to eat and parents will approve of.”
August 4th, 2010 at 10:33 PM
Our schools are necessarily providing healthy meals for kids…at least some restaurants are stepping up to the plate!
August 6th, 2010 at 11:39 AM
I love the health choices but don’t take fries and burgers off the menu!
August 6th, 2010 at 2:24 PM
I have two children and when I see what is on the “kids Menu”, it’s like why bother. It’s usually burgers, fries and or some sort of cheese covered pasta. When I go out, I want to have a good food experience and I want to show my children how to do the same. I am glad that FINALLY these restaurants are catching on. Start good habits early and keep them going. Let’s keep it healthy for life.
August 10th, 2010 at 10:55 AM
Restaurants are only supplying the products that customers are demanding. It is not the restaurants responsibility to make decisions on the types of foods people want to eat. People can choose to eat whatever they want. I do think it is societies responsibility to educate on the health risks of a poor diet and over eating.
August 13th, 2010 at 11:17 AM
It’s great to hear that restaurants are becoming healthier. It’s just such a chore to have to cook healthy after a long day at work. It’s easier to go some where and trust that the food you are eating is healthy and not have to search the menu for their “healthy” dishes.
August 13th, 2010 at 11:59 AM
Dear John W, you are right about “it’s the responsibility of the person ordering, not the restaurant” BUT… if all I have is a choice of burger and fries OR burger and fries, I guess I will go with burgers and fries. Sometimes coming home and cooking from scratch is a lot when I have had a long day at work. It’s nice the restaurants are catching on to the health issues of their consumers.
August 13th, 2010 at 2:20 PM
I love seeing more healthy choices! I’ve changed the way I eat out thanks to having more options.
August 15th, 2010 at 1:54 PM
What was first the chicken or the egg? If you don’t have healthy choices you can’t choose them, besides the demographics are changing to a younger more food aware population so restaurants that don’t keep up with the trend will turn around one day nd find all their customers gone.