Across the world, obesity is a problem. It is a health issue that is putting a huge strain on health services, families, and individuals. Something that the coronavirus crisis has opened a lot of ordinary people´s eyes to.
Consumers want healthier food
As a result, of this and other factors, the tide is finally turning. People are becoming increasingly interested in eating healthier food. According to a recent survey carried out by Boston-based LEK Consulting, 93% of people want to eat healthy meals. At least some of the time.
Demand for plant-based food is growing at an especially fast rate
They are also starting to eat more plant-based food. Many more people follow vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets. Even those that are not going that far are eating less meat and fish. So, demand for plant-based food is soaring. According to Statista, the value of the global plant-based food market is set to reach $161.9 billion. Currently, it is worth around $29.4 billion.
A chance for restaurants to help their customers and profit more
Those restaurants that adapt how they work to provide their clients with the chance to eat healthier food while eating out are sure to profit. Their customers will appreciate their efforts and will be more likely to stay loyal and eat there regularly.
Fortunately, offering clients more healthy food need not be complicated or expensive for restaurant owners to do. Here are some simple changes they can make and do so almost immediately.
Start using digital menu boards
Top of the list is sharing more nutritional information with diners. This is easy to do when using digital menu boards. Those restaurants, cafes, and bars that use them find that the initial cost of buying a screen is usually more than covered within a year or so. This is because there is no need to pay for menus to be printed. They are also more hygienic.
But the biggest advantage is that they are extremely versatile and easy to change. The menu is held as a digital file, which can be edited in moments, providing clients with up-to-date information.
It is really easy to add nutritional information such as calories, fat, and salt levels. Or symbols that highlight the healthiest dishes.
Offer customers tailored menus
It is also far easier to divide the menus up by common dietary needs. So, if a party of vegans comes into the restaurant owner can push a button and show them a menu that only lists dishes that they can eat. The same can be done if someone tells you they are following a particular popular diet routine. For example, Keto.
The potential is also there to offer customers the chance to see a menu that only contains the healthiest dishes that are served. Some diners will appreciate not being tempted by seeing their unhealthy favorites on the menu. At least not while they are on a diet.sea
Provide plenty of healthy food promotions
It is never a good idea for a restaurant to tell people what to eat. But that does not mean that they cannot encourage good eating habits by ensuring that they regularly offer promotions on healthy dishes.
Create a health-related loyalty card or app
Restaurant loyalty cards and apps are a highly effective way to bring customers back regularly. People like collecting a stamp every time they eat in a restaurant, then trading that full card for a free dish. Restauranters can tweak this promotional method to encourage people to order more healthy meals. For example, if a client orders a salad or vegetable side dish they can have an extra stamp. Or the free item could be a healthy side order.
Share information about healthy eating with diners
Digital screens are a great way to share all kinds of information with diners. They work well for promotions. But can also be used to provide people with healthy eating advice. For example, the benefits of eating a fruit or vegetable that is in season.
How the restauranters benefit from encouraging healthy eating
This is potentially good for the restaurant owner as well as diners. In-season ingredients cost less to buy. So, typically, the profit margin on dishes that are prepared using them is higher. It is a form of menu engineering that works well for both partiesl
Customers appreciate and reward openness. They are naturally drawn to using firms that demonstrate that they genuinely have their best interests at heart. Therefore, those restaurants that provide diners with the information and dishes they need to be able to make healthy choices are sure to benefit.
Infographic created by Clover Network – A Restaurant POS Systems Company
