• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, June 8, 2011

Consumers over 50 typically express more interest in healthful foods than younger groups, but 70% of them also say they expect to pay no more for healthier offerings than for other menu items in restaurants, according to a new report from The NPD Group.

One-quarter of boomers age 50 and older say they would expect to pay "somewhat" more, but just 5% say they would pay "a lot" more for the healthier options, per survey results from NPD¹s ongoing foodservice market research, included in its "Consumers Define Healthy Eating When They Go Out to Eat" report.

The more positive news for restaurants trying to offer wider varieties of healthful options (which often do cost more to produce): While 44% of consumers ages 18 to 24 say they would expect healthier items to cost the same as other items, nearly as many -- 41% -- say they would expect to pay somewhat more. Furthermore, 15% say they would expect to pay a lot more.

Consumer price expectations also vary by type of restaurant format. More expect healthy and other items to be similarly priced in full-service restaurants, while fewer have that expectation when it comes to quick-serve restaurants.

At the same time, however, most respondents indicate that they would feel more satisfied after restaurant visits if they were offered more healthful options at the same prices as less healthful ones -- including on value menus.

In short, one critical takeaway from the study is that restaurants should strive to achieve consistent pricing of their healthy and less healthy options, summed up Bonnie Riggs, NPD restaurant industry analyst and author of the report.

The market for healthier menu items is definitely growing, and "there is a good opportunity for operators who can find ways to offer healthier options at lower price points," Riggs stressed.