Tag "healthy eating"
How food makers, restaurant chains are cleaning up their labels
Restaurant chains and food makers of all sizes are increasingly cooking up food and drink recipes with a focus on health, nutrition and clean ingredients, to meet growing consumer demand. Annual lists for 2018 from a variety of sources counted health, wellness, sustainability and transparency among the hot food-and-beverage trends and clean-label initiatives are resonating with consumers. (SmartBrief)
Starbucks is quietly testing out healthier Frappuccino recipes
Starbucks is trying to win back Frappuccino customers with a healthier recipe. For more than a year, the company has been quietly testing new Frappuccino and flavored latte recipes in 600 stores across California, Missouri and Rhode Island. (CNN)
Insights from the UK Calorie Reduction Summit – and what they mean for US restaurants
I recently had the honor to be invited to speak at the United Kingdom’s Calorie Reduction Summit, held in June at the Royal Society in London. My role was to represent the US by sharing insights on the eight-plus years of the menu labeling journey and the FDA’s 399 pages of rules for posting calories on menus. (SmartBrief)
Restaurants, food companies cater to the diets du jour
Whether it’s Paleo, Whole30 or low-sugar, the number of US consumers who subscribe to some type of diet is on the rise. In fact, 36% of Americans reported following a specific eating pattern or diet within the past year, according to the annual Food & Health Survey released in May by the International Food Information Council Foundation. (SmartBrief)
How Functional Foods Can Help Restaurants Drive Brand Loyalty
Today, health-focused consumers demand more nutritional food from quick-service restaurants than ever before, and offering foods that consumers see as healthy can help brands drive sales. Nielsen’s 2015 Global Health and Wellness Survey reports that 88 percent of participants said they were willing to pay more for healthier foods. (QSR)
Chefs swap carbs for veggies as diners eat lighter
Cauliflower and zucchini — two often-overlooked vegetables — have become darlings of the dinner table. As chefs seek to satisfy the growing number of diners looking for lighter, more healthful fare, or gluten- or grain-free options, they are turning to cauliflower and zucchini to serve as veggie doppelgangers for grainy rice and carbo-loaded pasta. (Nation’s Restaurant News)
McDonald’s Cuts Cheeseburgers From Happy Meals
Burger chain to cut U.S. Happy Meal calories to 600 or less. McDonald’s embraces healthy eating amid obesity surge. (Bloomberg)
13 Meals That Prove You Can Eat Healthy At Chain Restaurants
We analyzed the menus of more than two dozen chain restaurants in search of the healthiest options. Here are the winners. (Men’s Health)
A Craveable Kind of Healthy Eating
A new golden age is upon us—though maybe “turmeric age” would be a better name. Good-for-you food has never been this good. (Wall Street Journal)
How much sugar in that pop? Panera to list it on its cups
Panera Bread will start listing the amount of added sugar and calories on the cups for seven drinks, including cola and iced teas. The move is the latest by the company to appeal to Americans who are increasingly concerned about what’s in their food and drinks. (Chicago Tribune)
Papa John’s introduces gluten-free crust systemwide
Papa John’s has rolled out a gluten-free crust to its more than 3,300 domestic locations after testing it earlier this year. The crust is made in a separate facility from other crusts, but the Louisville, Ky.-based chain still advised against people with Celiac disease or severe gluten intolerance eating the pizza due to risks of cross contamination. (Nation’s Restaurant News)
Taste, trust are the keys to getting consumers to eat healthier, more sustainable food
Consumer appetites for healthier options and plant-forward dishes are on the rise, according to the 2017 Menus of Change Annual Report. The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health released the report last week at the Menus of Change conference held at the CIA’s campus in Hyde Park, N.Y., where presenters and more than 400 attendees gathered to discuss the progress the food industry has made so far and what more can be done to improve health and sustainability in our food system. (SmartBrief)
Why Restaurants Should Embrace Smaller Portions
With the restaurant industry growing slowly—and some months not at all—brands are doing whatever they can to bring more diners in, and with increased frequency. That includes offering additional (primarily smaller) portion sizes, a move that both price-sensitive and health-minded consumers have requested, says Bonnie Riggs, restaurant industry analyst at The NPD Group. (QSR)
Weekly Update: FDA Releases Voluntary Salt Reduction Guidelines
This week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued draft guidelines for the food industry to reduce sodium in meals and snacks.
FDA releases voluntary sodium targets for restaurants, packaged food
Today, the FDA released draft guidance that outlines a series of “voluntary targets” for restaurants and packaged-food manufacturers to reduce sodium levels.