Changing appetites: 4 ways restaurants can adapt to healthier eating habits

In light of many customers choosing more healthful options when dining out, it's no surprise that restaurant and food service operators are worried about the nation’s changing appetites.

How should you prepare your food service for shifts in how people order, eat and appreciate food? We asked Entegra’s Culinary Services teams to put their heads together and here are some ideas:

1. Adjust portion sizes
   Customers with reduced appetites mean that restaurants need to adopt. As a result, some customers may find themselves ordering less, skipping appetizers and desserts or eating smaller portions when dining out. It may be time to reconsider portion sizes and pricing strategies to accommodate customers who may not be able to finish a full-sized meal.
   The benefit for you? Reduced portions can help you save on operating costs and also help you reduce food waste.
2. Serve healthier menu options
   Restaurants may need to adapt their menus to accommodate their customers’ new preferences. With demand for dishes that are low in carbohydrates, sugar, and calories trending, operators can add ingredients from Mediterranean blue-zone diets that include nuts, grains, fruits, vegetables and fish.
   Download the Trends 2024 report to get more trending food ideas.
3. Rewrite menu descriptions
   It may be time to retire phrases like, “all you can eat” and “jumbo size,” as descriptions that could suggest overeating may repel customers, not attract them. Today’s diners are basing their food orders on descriptions that convey health and well-being, including phrases about preparation, origin of ingredients and more. Being sensitive to changing sensibilities could mean hyping half portions, small plates or samplers.
   Entegra’s culinarians give tips on how you can effectively rewrite menu descriptions in the Menu Engineering report.
4. Rethink menu ideation
   As your menu changes, you may need guidance on creating new dishes that appeal to diners looking for alternative options. Bringing in culinary expertise to help you think through and promote healthy choices like plant-based dishes can help you with revamping your purchasing strategy to encompass new customers as well as your existing base.
   ​Learn about Entegra’s culinary services.

Having weathered the pandemic, rising inflation, labor challenges and supply-chain shortages, the restaurant industry is resilient. However, you still need to pivot quickly to meet your customers’ demands, and as the world’s largest food group purchasing organization , Entegra is uniquely positioned to help.

Contact us today to learn more.