3 Resources for a Healthier Menu

June 14, 2017 Peggy Carouthers

As consumers demand more nutritional food, these items can help you drive sales and loyalty.

Finding fresh, natural ingredients and products has never been more important in restaurants, as consumers are now paying more attention to where food comes from and its nutritional content.

The National Restaurant Association reports in “Trending Healthy” that more than seven in 10 adults are trying to eat healthier at restaurants than they did two years ago, with more than eight in 10 restaurants saying their guests pay more attention to nutritional content of food. In the “What’s Hot 2017 Culinary Forecast,” the NRA also names nutrition as a top-10 industry trend.

But cooking healthy food on a budget can be difficult, while time constraints and rising labor costs can increase kitchen strain, finding great vendor partners can help restaurants offer more healthy options without making life more stressful.

Litehouse Inc.

1. Litehouse Inc.

Litehouse Inc., an international food manufacturer and industry leader of refrigerated dressings, sauces, dips, herbs, and cheese, offers a complete business solution for its customers. “At Litehouse we strive to provide our customers with the freshest innovation to an ever changing marketplace. This includes a commitment to removing any unnecessary ingredients, such as artificial preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors, and high fructose corn syrup,” says Brent Carr, senior vice president of sales and marketing. litehousefoods.com

Pete's Living Greens

2. Pete's Living Greens

Available in Baby Romaine, Spring Mix, Sweet Butter Blend, Italian Mix, and Upland Cress, Pete’s Living Greens offer consumers a fresh alternative to bagged salad, delivering the most popular varieties in living strip versions with roots attached for supreme flavor and longevity. Each comes in a 100 percent recyclable plastic container, known as the Home Harvest Pack, with a revolutionary “root containment compartment,” giving consumers an easy, no-mess way to harvest at home.

Boggiatto Produce

3. Boggiatto Produce

When it comes to healthy flavor and versatility, Garden Hearts romaine hearts are more nutrient-dense than you might think. Busting the myth, they contain from 45 to 535 percent of the RDA for omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and Vitamins A and K. Brighten and lighten your menu today with delectable Garden Hearts with Roasted Vegetables, Garden Hearts Cobb-in-a-Jar, or Grilled Garden Hearts Greek Style. Find these recipes and many more at www.boggiattoproduce.com.

Making the commitment to serving healthier dishes can help restaurants stay relevant in a crowded market, but managing more fresh ingredients can add strain to kitchens as well as the budget. Vendor partners can help relieve the pressures of this change while ensuring restaurants have quality healthy products to serve their customers.