• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, July 22, 2010

While menu items deemed "healthy" by restaurant operators increased by just 10% between the second quarter of 2007 and the same quarter in 2010, there was a 65% jump in operators' reported introductions of such items between Q2 '09 and Q2 2010 alone, according to Mintel Menu Insights.

The recent rise in healthier menu items likely reflects both growing consumer awareness/demand and governmental initiatives to address obesity and nutrition issues, including federal requirements for nutritional transparency on menus that will go into effect next year.