As diners continue to strive to eat better and lead healthier lifestyles, many restaurants are adjusting their menus to accommodate the newest trends. Recent studies show that 57 per cent of diners say that they need to eat healthier, so this is a trend that’s expected to gain even more momentum in the coming year.
RELATED: How menus are addressing diner demand for healthier choices
According to Technomic’s December Industry Insights report, operators are updating the categories and labels on their menus to address the demand for healthier meals. Here’s a list of the fastest-growing health claims on menus:
- Natural +23 per cent (seen for items like beef, beverages, and potato chips)
- No sugar +7.7 per cent (mostly for beverages)
- Vegan + 6.7 per cent (often available as an option to modify a regular dish)
- Plant-based + 6.7 per cent (seen mostly in dishes containing meat alternatives)
- Lactose-free + 5.8 per cent (mostly applicable to cheese, but also often seen in coffee beverage descriptions)
Creating a menu that addresses common healthy trends can be a challenge for restaurants as operators focus on customer experience, ingredient costs, and restaurant revenues. 53 per cent of diners say that healthy main dishes are important on restaurant menus, so creating a winning menu that addresses this need could help increase restaurant traffic. Here are some suggestions for making healthy eating an integral part of your menu:
- 63 per cent of diners say they expect to see salads on the menu, so getting creative with entrée salads may be a way to use up kitchen ingredients and offer something unique
- Making portions smaller may increase your margins while offering a healthier serving size for your guests. Consider sharing plates, mini desserts, and tasting boards for a delicious take on smaller serving sizes.
- 45 per cent of consumers are cutting back on sugar, so offering alternatives for your coffee beverages can help your menu appeal to a larger market. As well, if you offer grab-and-go options, including baked goods with sweeteners like agave or maple syrup can help attract attention for a new customer base and raise cheque totals.
Healthier lifestyles continue to be a priority for diners and operators who embrace this trend on their menus may gain an advantage with more traffic and higher revenues, over the competition.
