How to get your restaurant’s customers started the healthy way with nutritious appetizers

Appetizers can derail healthy eating if they are loaded with fat, saturated fat and salt. After all, they are the food that tempts the diners before they even have a chance to consider a main dish. However, the nutrition starts to count the minute the tab starts running.

Fortunately, the desire for healthy choices in restaurants seems to go hand-in-hand with the consumers’ desire for interesting appetizers. In fact, according to Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association’s 2013 Canadian Chef Survey, both nutrition and ethnic/street food inspired appetizers ranked among the top 10 hot trends on the Canadian restaurant scene.

So, what can restaurants do to marry the two ideas and give the consumers what they really want?

• Get creative with the use of fruit and vegetables in your appetizers.
• Take a classic and make it healthier by substituting leaner meats (chicken skewers, lean beef kabobs, fish tacos), lower-fat options (Greek yogurt, salsa, bean dips) and adding more fibre (whole-grain crackers, pumpernickel bread).
• Consider the portion size. Remember that appetizer is a starter to the meal, so be conscious of how large it is.
• Get creative with your sharing platters. Offering a variety of appetizers on one platter not only decreases the amount of food per person, but also opens the doors to including all four food groups on one plate.