10 Steps to Healthy Dining Success

Contact: Franceen Friefeld, RD., P.H.Ec ( franceenf.blogspot.com)
617-448-0205

There is no doubt that the current health crisis is causing a scramble within the foodservice industry. Although many onsite operations are trying to meet the strong demand for healthier menu items and pending government legislation, there are many obstacles. With all the conflicting diets and nutrition theories on the market, deciding how to position a wellness offer is a very complex issue. Hiring a dietitian and analyzing the nutrient content of menu items can be expensive. Finding healthy recipes that are easy, tasty and cost effective, and ensuring that foodservice staff adheres to the program standards are not easy tasks.

Many operators are convinced that even though there is a huge demand, healthy foods don’t sell. They fail to realize that this dilemma results from consumers who are increasingly dissatisfied with the healthy choices currently being offered. Many establishments are resorting to half portions as the basis of their healthy offer, which leave customers hungry and dissatisfied. Not only that, these reduced portions stipulate reduced prices which decease average checks and total sales. The choices also often resemble “diet food” such as dried broiled breast of chicken, raw unseasoned broccoli, sprouted tofu and cottage cheese, which does not appeal to the American public who are used to eating super-sized portions of high calorie, high sodium and high fat food.

The good news is that there are ways to rise above these challenges. Offering healthy menu selections can provide a tremendous opportunity to drives sales and achieve business growth through increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, increased participation and average checks. However, to maximize success, the following 10 points should be considered when developing and implementing a wellness offer.


1) Choose a strategy that best meets the needs of your customers and your operation.
Wellness programs can be implemented in a number of different ways. Besides adding healthier features to your menu, other tactics include alternate healthier preparation methods and ingredients offered at your action and served stations, healthier sides in combination specials to replace items such as fries and onion rings as well as nutrition labeling. Both the needs of your customers and the capacity of your operation need to be considered when selecting your approach.


2) Keep it credible!
As tempting as it may be to incorporate the latest fad, don’t sacrifice your credibility in the marketplace and run the risk of having to change your whole concept when the fad dies. Remember when Atkins (now commonly referred to as “Fadkins”) took a great fall? The fad really took off at the beginning of the millennium but shortly after, questions arose from the medical community about the diet’s long-term effects. In 2003, a fickle public ditched low-carb for the next fad.

Keep in mind that you will always come out ahead if you base your theory on solid credible scientific fact. You cannot meet the dietary needs of every customer but the best way to meet the majority of needs is by incorporating reputable guidelines from leading health organizations such as The American Dietetic Association, The American Heart Association and the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans.


3) Define what you mean by ”healthy”.
Depending on whom you ask, there are numerous definitions for “healthy”. Clearly define your criteria so that customers know the underlying principle of your program. This will not only add to your credibility it will simplify your approach.


4) Be savvy with regards to nutrition labeling regulations and claims.
Use reputable sources to analyze your menu items and ensure that you are following legislation regarding health claims. Inaccuracy in gathering nutritional information may lead to potential consumer litigation regarding deceptive marketing tactics based on faulty nutritional numbers and information.


5) Keep it simple!
This is one of the hardest things to accomplish, as nutrition can be such a complex subject. There are numerous programs on the market that are confusing, which makes it difficult for customers and employees to understand and apply.

Use straightforward nutrition guidelines that all your menu items meet so that customers don’t have to decipher complicated charts, or sort through multiple icons to determine what is healthy! The program needs to make the concept of healthy eating fun and easy, not stressful and complicated.


6) Small changes yield bigger results
The best way to maximize participation is by taking a moderate approach. Health advocates are recommending that Americans meet very aggressive goals such as the consumption of 1500 mg of sodium for the entire day, no added sugar and extreme portion size reductions. However, do you think you are going to maximize participation and change eating habits by offering meals that are half the size with no added salt, sugar and fat?

Consider the fact that your customers are used to eating meals such as this:

The Boston Market chopped chicken salad with 4000 mg sodium and Applebee’s appetizer sampler with 6520 mg sodium!! California Pizza Kitchen’s Thai Crunch Salad with 2250 calories; IHOP’s Colorado Omelet with 1900 calories, 47 grams of saturated fat and 4200 mg sodium and The Cheesecake Factory’s children’s portion of Pasta Alfredo with 1800 calories and 87 grams of saturated fat!

Changing eating habits takes time. Ensure you incorporate credible health guidelines but make sure they are also liberal enough to allow for taste and satisfaction.


7. Take a positive, non-diet approach – Focus on taste and satisfaction first, health second
Consumers are tired of hearing about what not to eat and how to diet. Refocus thinking from “diet and deprivation” to “eating and satisfaction” by offering full portions of healthy, yet tasty and filling favorites”. For example, prepare beef tacos with leaner meat, offer 1 instead of 2 and fill the rest of the plate with rice and salad. Prepare pizzas on whole grain crust and top them with lower fat mozzarella cheese and more vegetables. The opportunities are endless.

This approach will have strong customer appeal which will fuel customer satisfaction, loyalty and business growth; It will attract even those not interested in wellness because it will not be diet food, it will be delicious food… that happens to be healthy too!


8. Don’t cut overall portion size – focus on filling up!!
You don’t have to decrease portion size in order to reduce such components as calories, fat sodium, and cholesterol. You can keep the portion full and still meet healthy guidelines by simply changing the food mix. This means smaller portions of leaner protein foods, but more whole grains, and many more fruits and vegetables which fill the plate and provide more nutrients to boot! This will provide value to customers and allow for full portion pricing thus maximizing sales and margins.


9. Give your existing menu items a healthy twist
There is a way to make almost any food healthier without having to re-invent the wheel. By simply replacing some recipe ingredients and altering the proportion of food groups (as mentioned above), you can turn your menu items into delicious, healthy and satisfying items that sell!!


10. Support is available
*** No need to start from scratch. There are tools and resources available to help you implement these tactics in an easy and profitable way.

If you would like to discuss how, please contact Franceen Friefeld, RD., P.H.Ec. at info@platedconcepts.com or 617-448-0205

**Visit our website at www.platedconcepts.com

Menu-labeling Law Enacted– Implications for Onsite Foodservice

Contact: Franceen Friefeld, RD., P.H.Ec ( franceenf.blogspot.com/)
617-448-0205

On March 21, 2010, a component of health care legislation on mandatory nutrient labeling passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is expected to be signed into law by President Obama. This legislation creates a national, uniform nutrition-posting standard for chain restaurants with 20 or more locations that share common menus. Although targeted to chain restaurants, all foodservice establishments need to consider it’s impact.

The Challenges

1) Increased customer expectations. Although there has been a growing consumer demand for healthier menu choices, this legislation will set a new expectation for nutrient information wherever they dine, including onsite operations.

2) More complex than just calories. It is speculated that information similar to that on packaged foods will need to be provided upon request, including such things as fat, sodium and cholesterol, which, in addition to calories, may be high and disconcerting to display.

3) Consumers are in for a shock! Who wouldn’t be shocked to learn that the sodium content in The Boston Market’s chopped salad is close to 4000 mg and Applebee’s crispy chicken bowl has 4250 mg? A child’s portion of pasta with alfredo sauce at the Cheesecake Factory has 1800 calories and 87 grams of saturated fat, which is equivalent to 3 McDonald’s Big Macs! If and when you analyze your menu items, there can be profiles resembling these numbers, or at least ones that can be concerning to customers.

Recommendations For On Site Foodservice Establishments

1) Get on board!
In order to maximize customer loyalty and sales, even if the labeling law does not pertain to your operation, be aware that many customers will expect it!

Here are some things to keep in mind when implementing this initiative.

• Don’t guess! Use credible sources to analyze your menu items. Inaccuracy in gathering nutritional information may lead to potential consumer litigation regarding deceptive marketing tactics based on faulty nutritional numbers. There are consultants and resources to support you. Examples are registered dietitians who are trained in the food service industry that have the experience and tools to perform nutrient analysis. They are trained in nutrition and there are a lot of intricacies and complexities involved in generating accurate numbers.

• Take a pro-active approach. Making nutrition data available to your customers before labeling laws take effect is advisable. It will increase your image, help frame the discussion about the healthfulness of your menu items and suggest that you have nothing to hide from your customers.

• Implement standardized recipes and train your staff. Since all menu items must meet the nutrition content that you advertise, standardized recipes should be instituted and training enforced to ensure that recipes are followed without alterations. That means in terms of ingredients, cooking methods and measurements.

• Post disclaimers. Even if you enforce the standards mentioned above, there can still be some small differentials between the actual nutrient content of your menu items and the advertised numbers due to such things as customer ordering preferences and seasonal variations in fresh produce. Therefore, it is prudent to indicate on signage that there may be minor variations in actual nutrient content. Some examples are:

“All items are freshly prepared on site and nutritional values may vary slightly.”

For a more in depth version…

“This nutritional information is intended to provide you with general nutrient values. Actual nutritional values can vary due to seasonal variation in food nutrition content, rounding of fractional values and customer ordering preferences.”

You may also want to consider the use of a medical disclaimer such as:

"The nutritional information is provided for general purposes only and is not
intended for medical nutrition therapy. Please consult your doctor for
medical advice on a proper diet for your individual needs.”

2) Offer Healthy Alternatives

The best way to balance your menu is to offer healthier choices alongside your regular fare. To ensure success, there are some important things to consider such as; the importance of keeping the program simple and based on credible information, sourcing recipes that are easy, cost effective and appealing and implementing effective standards to maximize ROI.


For more information, contact Franceen Friefeld, RD., P.H.Ec., via linked in or email at fran@platedconcepts.com