DCRS Solutions
Tips For Creating A Healthy Menu Guests Will Love
While everyone loves to binge on an unhealthy meal every now and then, restaurant goers are increasingly becoming more health-conscious and seeking restaurants that offer healthier options beyond a simple garden salad.
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Crafting a healthy menu for guests will show them that your restaurant cares about their health and welcomes guests of all lifestyles. After all, your menu is your best marketing tool to attract customers both old and new.
If you are ready to create a new menu that caters toward health-conscious consumers, here are a few tips to get you started.
Review Your Current Menu
First and foremost, scrutinize your current menu and the ingredients that go into your dishes. Are the ingredients frozen and generally considered unhealthy?
Make a list of ingredients that you can replace with healthier alternatives, like field green instead of plain iceberg lettuce, or brown rice instead of white.
Tweak Your Current Offerings
When creating a healthier menu for guests, one of the easiest ways you can start is by tweaking your current menu items and incorporating healthier ingredients.
For example, instead of traditionally deep frying chicken in oil, try offering a baked version. Or instead of plain mac and cheese, make it with broccoli, reduced-fat cheeses and whole grain pasta.
Remember, you don’t have to replace your entire menu with healthy offerings — start by strategically identify what items can be improved upon. Be sure to sample the menu to ensure taste and quality.
Train Staff To Promote Healthy Items
To further promote healthy items on your menu, train staff to promote them to customers when taking their orders, which will help you to “sell” your healthy alternatives.
Additionally, be sure to train servers on nutritional and allergen information so parents can make informed food choices for their children.
Work With A Professional
It is okay to ask for help in crafting a healthy menu.
A professional, licensed nutritionist can help you identify your least healthy meals and offer advice on how to make them better and more appealing to guests.
If you prefer not to use a nutritionist, there are online services/applications available to track the nutritional information of meals, like MenuCalc and MyFitnessPal.
Pay Attention To Your Budget
As always, be sure to work within your budget when creating healthy menu items.
Fresh, seasonal ingredients like strawberries need to be used quickly or they will begin to mold, resulting in food waste and lost income. Also remember that the price of those seasonal items will fluctuate throughout the year.
A cloud POS system like Toast and MobileBytes will help you manage your restaurant’s menu by keeping track of purchased ingredients, how well your healthy meals sell and consolidating data that you will be able to access from your computer or smart device.
With these systems, you will be able to make informed decisions regarding your restaurant’s healthy menu and keep it running smoothly and efficiently.