Home / Healthier dining habits drive menu innovation
In this first of a five-part nutrition series, we look at the impact of plant-forward additions to restaurant menus
Health has never been more important. The world is talking about coronavirus, how to prevent it, how to treat it, and the lifestyle diseases that worsen its effects. These conversations have reignited the need for healthful eating because it is one of the most important ways to improve our overall health and well-being.
According to Datassential’s COVID-19 Health at Home report, 78% of consumers agree that diet has a major impact on how your body fights/protects against illness, and 44% of consumers say they have been eating healthier in response to COVID-19.
The foundation to any healthful eating pattern is consuming an ample amount of plants, specifically fruits and vegetables. Restaurants have a unique and important opportunity to provide consumers with a variety of plants to support healthful eating and their overall wellness.
Restaurants have been instrumental in exposing people to fruits and vegetables and providing consumers with a delightful, delicious plant-forward experience,” says Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, president and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation. “Restaurants are often the first exposure, or point of entry, to trying — continuing to try — new fruit and vegetable consumption behaviors,” says Reinhardt Kapsak.
Popular fast-casual chain restaurants Roti Modern Mediterranean, Panera Bread, Noodles and Company, and Chipotle Mexican Grill have put fruits and vegetables at the core of their healthful menu development.
As consumers gain more exposure to fruits and vegetables from popular fast-casual chain restaurants, they will look to all types of restaurants to offer and innovate with more fruits and vegetables. Here are a few ways to incorporate fruits and vegetables into the menu.
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