How can you make your restaurant menu healthier?

12 de December, 2022

Many people are increasingly concerned about eating a healthy and balanced diet. According to data from the FOOD Barometer 2022, released last November, 79% of Portuguese admit to paying more and more attention to healthy eating.

This means that people tend to look for a healthier offer in restaurants, with ingredients and recipes that meet their preferences. The FOOD Barometer 2022 confirmed this idea, concluding that 90% of Portuguese respondents think that restaurants should offer a healthier menu that includes fresh produce, clear nutritional information, a clear indication of “healthy option” on the menu, vegetarian and/or vegan options and more salads.

This is therefore a reality that restaurants cannot ignore. And although it may seem challenging to some, the truth is that it is possible to make small changes that make menus more balanced and without compromising the type of cuisine practiced.

Do you want to know what these changes are? We’ll tell you all about it! But first, let’s try to understand what healthy eating really is.

What is healthy eating?

Different people may have different notions of what is healthy. We can all agree that a salad is a healthy dish and that a serving of fries in oil is unhealthy. But with other foods or meals, understanding can be more complex.

There are many aspects to take into account, such as the amount of sugar, salt or fat, the number of calories, whether the food is fresher/natural or more processed, among others.

According to the National Health Service, a healthy diet presupposes that it should be complete, varied and balanced, providing adequate energy and physical well-being throughout the day. Foods rich in fiber such as vegetables, fruit, cereals and legumes, vitamins, minerals and low in fat should be the daily “staples” of a healthy diet.

Still, it can be an interesting exercise to ask your customers directly what they are looking for in a healthier menu and adapt yours according to their answers.

Tips for a healthier and more balanced menu

1 – Favor healthier ingredients and cooking techniques

In order to provide healthier meals, you need to choose healthier ingredients and cooking methods. Some ideas could be:

• Use ways of cooking that involve adding little or no fat, such as steaming, grilling and stewing instead of frying, for example.
• Favor better quality fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, and avoid oils with high levels of polyunsaturated fats, such as sunflower oil.
• Find cases where you are using packaged products and try to replace them with fresher products.
• Replace fatty meats and sausages with leaner varieties, also removing excess fat before cooking.
• Opt for wholemeal ingredients such as pasta, rice and bread.
• Give preference to seasonal products and those from local producers, which are fresher, richer and more nutritious.
• Use only oil and vinegar instead of adding creamy, fatty sauces such as mayonnaise, mustard or butter sauce, for example.
• Season food with herbs and spices to reduce the amount of salt.

A note on products that claim to be “fat-free” or “sugar-free”: these products often replace fat and sugar with sweeteners and chemicals, and end up being even less healthy than they originally were. Pay close attention to labels and the composition of foods and ingredients before buying them and using them in your recipes.

2 – Consider giving customers other options to choose from

You don’t need to change the entire menu. You can start by making small adjustments or giving customers some options you choose that they might not have at the moment. For example:

• If you have a menu of the day, make sure it is diverse and has a meat option, a fish option and a vegetarian/vegan option.
• Provide at least one vegetable soup option.
• When it comes to meat dishes, make sure you have white meat options, such as chicken or turkey.
• Always have garnishes available to accompany the main course, such as salad or sautéed vegetables, for example.
• Make it easier to choose wholemeal or mixed bread instead of white bread.
• Have at least one fresh fruit option for dessert.
• Ask at the beginning of the meal if people want water.
• Remove the salt shakers from the tables and put them back only if customers ask.

3 – Indicate the calorie information of the dishes on the menu

A healthier menu is also a precise and enlightening menu, with clear descriptions of the dishes that allow customers to make informed decisions.

Some people control the exact number of calories they eat each day or at each meal. So one improvement you can make to your restaurant menu is to add the calorie count of the dishes.

Knowing the exact number of calories in each dish can take some time and effort (if you need it, seek the help of a nutritionist who can help you). But this work will pay off, as your customers will certainly be pleased to have access to this information.

4 – Use symbols to indicate healthier options

Also with the aim of making your menu more informative, you can use certain symbols that have some indications about the dishes (these symbols should be properly captioned at the end of the menu).

For example, you can use the “V” symbol to indicate vegetarian or vegan dishes, a grill to indicate dishes that are grilled, a leaf for dishes with organic vegetables, a grain for dishes based on wholemeal instead of white flour, a torn grain to indicate gluten-free foods, a chilli pepper for spicy dishes… the options are many and should be adapted to the type of cuisine in your restaurant.

This small change will make a big difference to customers, who will be more confident in their choices.

5 – Train employees to prepare and promote healthy dishes

Convey to your staff the importance of preparing and offering healthier and more balanced meals in the restaurant.

On the one hand, cooks – and other workers involved in cooking – should be aware of the use of healthier ingredients and foods and turn them into tasty and appealing dishes. On the other hand, waiters should inform customers about the options available and encourage them to try these dishes.

Offering your customers more varied and balanced alternatives, as well as communicating that you use healthier cooking techniques, can help you attract new customers and also retain those who show concern about this issue.

Do you already implement some of the ideas we’ve presented above? Are there any others you are developing in your restaurant? Tell us all about it!