With more and more people trying to be more health conscious it only makes sense that they would focus on eating healthier. Most eating establishments are not known for healthy foods as many restaurants today rely heavily on per-prepared ingredients that are loaded with sodium and all kinds of preservatives that are considered less than healthy. So does that mean that health food restaurants are going to be the newest trend in dining out. Not necessarily, but it does mean that if you are going to meet your customers growing needs you need to have at least a few healthy options on your own restaurant’s menu.
You Don’t Have to Redo Your Entire Menu
In order to provide healthy options for those customers who are dieting or simply trying to eat healthier you don’t have to revamp your entire menu. In fact, simply adding a small insert with two or three healthy meal options can often make a huge difference and attract more customers to your establishment. You are going to want to make sure that you offer both vegan and orgainic food choices if at all possible.
Many restaurants shy away from vegan menu items simply because most people have a meat and potato mentality. However, a good vegan selection can be enjoyed by everyone including those “meat” eaters who are looking to try something different. Offering a spaghetti plate made with spaghetti squash, plenty of healthy vegetables, and fresh tomato sauce can be both refreshing and low calorie which will make this dish appealing both to those who are trying to lose weight and for those who prefer not to eat meat or meat by products. You can even include the option of some nice turkey meatballs for those meat lovers who are still trying to eat healthy.
There are also a lot of grilled vegetables recipes that you can adapt that are filling, healthy, and exactly what vegans and non vegans alike will love because they are both appealing visually and taste good as well. They can also be extremely filling.
Of course offering grilled or broiled fish, seafood, and chicken with organic steamed vegetables or fresh fruit side dishes are a simple way to provide a few healthy options on your traditional dinner menu.
Forget Those Salads
Surprisingly while many people like salads for a light meal or even as a starter they really aren’t something you want to carry as a healthy meal menu option. First, because unless you can come up with a really healthy and unique salad using a salad as a meal option is simply going to appear boring, especially since most restaurants carry salads on their regular menu anyway. However, you may want to offer a healthier salad dressing option, such as lemon and herb dressing that is low in fat and calories for those salads on your regular menu. That way you can increase the healthy options on your menu with very little effort.
Don’t Forget About Breakfast
If your dining establishment serves breakfast as well as lunch and dinner then don’t forget to include some healthy breakfast options on your menu as well. Oatmeal with fresh berries is always a good option as are egg white omelets. However, you might to include a few more creative choices for breakfast as well.
Adding a few healthy food options to that traditional menu may be just what is needed to increase your business and make your eating establish stand out from all the others.
