Diners Seeking Healthy Meals

The National Restaurant Association published a study to their website indicating that more and more consumers are seeking healthy fare when dining out.

The report indicated that 78% of adult females are more likely to choose more healthful menu items, while 65% of adult males said they would make healthful choices. Additionally, younger adults are more likely to choose healthier fare than their older counterparts.

Much of this interest is due to the nation’s increased interest in healthful living among adults and children. Consumers are becoming increasingly educated on the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices. America’s restaurants are starting to recognize this consumer interest, and seem to be stepping up to the plate by offering more better-for-you items on their menus.

Consumers are more interested in what they are consuming, and are more interested in the nutritional content of their food. Restaurants across all segments can attest to this, as consumers’ interest in nutritional content has increased dramatically in the past two years.

What's Your Opinion on Displaying Calorie Content

Two researchers from the City University of New York School of Public Health at Hunter College are surveying the perceptions of restaurant owners and managers. The scientists are studying the consequences of the new menu labeling law that requires establishments owning 20 or more locations to list calorie content for standard menu items on their restaurant menus, menu boards and drive-thru menu displays.

With growing emphasis on health and obesity in America, researchers are investigating how increased food legislation is affecting the restaurant industry. The online survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Take the survey now at: http://www.formstack.com/forms/?1093287-rjK3bxNSem

A recently released study has unveiled the the best and worst restaurants for kids. This study focused on what was available on children’s menus and how healthy (or not) these items were. The best restaurant they found Chick-fil-A, which has the “healthiest” chicken nuggets and healthy side options, according to the article. The worst offender listed in the article: a list of chain restaurants that have fought off releasing nutrition info (but who are possibly going to have to as more places require the information on menus).

This study has shed light on the fact that kid’s meals need to be reconsidered. Parents (and health experts) realize that offering a child a choice between chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, and pizza is a lose-lose situation for the child. Very few restaurants offer healthy choices for children, although many are starting to. This study is helping to push the demand for healthy, nutritious options for children. Parents can order grilled chicken and fish with vegetables off the regular menu and now want to know why they can’t order a smaller version of the same for their children.

What is your kids menu like? Do you have one? Do you make smaller portions of the regular items for kids or do you have a separate menu they are supposed to order off of? Have you considered re-evaluating your kid’s menu? Let us know below.

There’s grumbling coming from many restaurants today and it is not from hunger. More and more parents, and even some kids, are grumbling about the items offered, and not offered, on kid’s menus in many restaurants. Many parents, like him and her, are calling for changes to the traditional menu that so many are used to. They want to see more fruits and vegetables, less fried foods, and more items similar to what the adults eat, but in a smaller portion.

Their complaints aren’t coming simply from being sick of the site of chicken fingers and French fries. Parents are responding to the increase in childhood obesity and unhealthy eating habits. This recent article sheds light on the fact that obesity is now starting to be an issue with children as young as two. A main reason for this is the unhealthy eating habits of today’s families. So many people are so busy running from place to place that they simply stop at a restaurant and order whatever jumps out at them off the menu. Unfortunately, many places only offer high fat foods, which don’t offer much nutritional value on their menus.

Happily, some businesses are starting to see that a change is a necessary event and that it can be profitable. Many companies are starting to offer choices for side dishes in place of the traditional French fry, such as vegetables, fruit, or yogurt. Another option that is popular among parents is offering the same dishes as the regular menu, but in smaller portions. This is a great option for parents who want their children to eat regular food, not food considered to be “child friendly,” and have healthy, tasty options available to them.

It’s easy to add new and exciting offerings for children to your menu. You can simply start by offering options such as vegetables as sides with the traditional main courses. It's easy to add more options by simply offering items that are included on the regular menu in smaller sizes. You can place the items on a smaller plate, possibly even in an interesting pattern, to please the child and encourage them to eat. Your Serv-U representative can help you create interesting ways to serve food that kids will enjoy and parents will love because they are healthy, tasty, and come from your business. 

In foodservice news lately:

Mandatory nutrition information on menus…

Consumer shift toward healthier eating…

The “raw” and “whole foods” diets going more mainstream…

The shifting face of restaurant dayparts…

Warmer weather and the popularity of such treats as frozen yogurt (think Pinkberry)…

The “coming of age” of tequila…

After reading up on these news bites, I came to a conclusion; one thing can pull together all of these trends: a great commercial blender.  How useful is a heavy duty blender?  Let me count the ways (think smoothies, soups, and frozen margaritas)…

Blend up raw fruits for a tempting smoothie that doesn’t make you ashamed to admit the calorie content; it will appeal to the health-conscious (especially if you use such so-called “super foods” as the venerable pomegranate), the “raw foodists,” and anyone looking for a sweet treat between meals. 

Mix it up by adding nuts and vegetables and you might find—like Jamba Juice did in an article at FastCasual—that this smoothie is transformed into a nutritious, full meal.

A heavy duty blender can also create a silky-smooth soup, even one made with “whole foods,” another dietary trend gaining popularity.  When creating something from “whole foods,” you use the entire fruit or vegetable (as the name suggests).  The seeds, the peels, the stems—everything is used, and with a great blender, it’s not a problem.  It can all be blended to a fine puree, whereas many household blenders simply couldn’t stand up to the job.

Besides making possible countless variations of soups and smoothies, a commercial grade blender also makes the perfect frozen margarita.  In fact, one of Serv-U’s star blenders goes by the name “Margarita Madness.”  The increasing popularity of high end tequila and Mexican food in general has boosted this classic drink’s profile.  (For a video about how best to make a margarita, see Serv-U’s video library.)  But a good bar blender doesn’t stop at margaritas; it can handle nearly any other blended drink your bartenders can dream up.

  (photo from Mel B. of Flickr Creative Commons)

If you’re ready to give a blender a try, start by perusing Serv-U’s selection of commercial blenders and bar blenders.  Call or chat online with a Serv-U sales representative to get all your blender questions answered.

And if you have any good blended recipes or tips, please share them in the comments section below!