• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, August 3, 2010

According to Mintel Menu Insights, last month's recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee confirmed what consumers have already been suggesting: restaurants need healthier menus. Between Q2 2009 and Q2 2010 menu items labeled as "healthy" grew 65%.

The new health care bill will require all restaurants, with 20 or more locations, to include calorie counts on menus, menu boards and drive-throughs. According to the study, more than 60% of restaurant-goers think restaurants should post nutritional information on menus, and 44% think federal or local governments should facilitate such actions.

Eric Giandelone, director of foodservice research at Mintel, says "Menu transparency will allow consumers to have control... However, getting people to eat healthier requires more than just posting calories... the food also has to taste good."

When going out for dinner, nearly 60% of survey respondents say they want something that tastes great and 23% claim to want to eat a healthy meal. 14% of diners say they are never interested in ordering a healthy restaurant meal. Restaurant patrons are attracted to healthful meals, as long as they're full of flavor.

The DGAC recommendations also include specific instructions for kids' menus, urging restaurants to include a focus on children, as "prevention of obesity in childhood is the single most powerful public health approach to combating America's obesity epidemic." The 10% increase in menu items that contain fruits or vegetables between Q2 2007 and Q2 2010 reported by Mintel Menu Insights is a start, says the report.

Mintel research found that among restaurant-goers who say they're eating more healthfully when dining out, more than half are doing so by including more fruits and vegetables. There has also been a 12% increase in menu items that were labeled as vegetarian between Q2 2007 and Q2 2010.

Nearly half of survey respondents report eating healthier in restaurants in the past year and people have different methods for doing so:

·      67% are reducing fat for adopting healthier eating habits

·      52% are eating more fruits and vegetables (52%)

·      49% are simply ordering less food

Giandelone concludes that "... there may be some initial consumer shock at the calorie counts, and chains may have to start listing lower-calorie options or smaller portion sizes to help diffuse this unpleasant surprise..."

For more information from Mintel, please visit here.