The implementation and benefits of nutritious menu items for restaurants

Abstract

The restaurant industry is responding to its customer's growing interest in their health and nutrition by offering alternative menu selections that are lower in fat, sodium, cholesterol and calories. The purpose of this study was to identify how restaurants orchestrate, market and benefit from offering nutritions menu items. Direct mail questionnaires with cover letters were randomly sent to 246 restaurant managers in The Philadelphia Restaurant and Purveyors Association. A 67% response rate was achieved. Over 52% of respondents currently offer what they consider nutritious items or plan to offer them in the future. 30% of the respondents participate in organized dining-out programs which are managed by a registered dietitian consultant. 43% of the respondents develop their own menu items that they consider heart healthy. Of those restauranteurs who offer what they consider nutritious menu items the following was found: 15% offer nutritious breakfast items, 45% offer nutritious lunch items, 53% offer nutritious dinner items and 16% offer nutritious catering items. In marketing nutritious menu items: 28% use special symbols, 23% have a statement on the menu regarding healthy alternative food preparation, 23% have a special menu section, 19% use a descriptive statement for the menu item and 16% rely on the staff to inform patrons. Of those restaurants that offer what they consider nutritious menu items, 16% reported that 6–15% of total annual sales were attributed to menu items labeled and marketed as nutritious. The results indicate that the majority of restaurants offer or plan to offer in the future what they consider nutritious menu items. These results reflect that there is a growing necessity for nutrition education in the restaurant industry.