SO, WHAT IS “HEALTHY?”
In many ways, healthfulness still
comes down to eating your vegetables.
Consumers polled by Technomic
overwhelmingly think that foods
described as including a full serving
of fruit or vegetables are good for
them. But today, protein—from both
vegetable and animal sources—is
more im portant than ever. Port
Washington, N.Y.-based researcher
NPD Group finds that more than
half of adult Americans want more
protein in their diet. Beyond that,
there are countless opinions on the
definition of healthy, depending on
demographics and personal preferences.
For instance, Technomic
reports that women are more likely
than men to think some fats are good
for you. Yet younger men are more
likely than older men and women of
all ages to believe that organic produce
is more nutritious than conventional
produce. And while interest in
gluten-free remains strong, there are
signs that the growth in the number
of voluntarily gluten-free Americans
may have peaked. In 2013, a third of
respondents to a NPD Group survey
said they sought out gluten-free
foods. In May of 2014, that number
had dropped to 29.4 percent.
Bottom line: There is no one answer.
To target today’s “healthy”
consumer, restaurants are taking
aim from many different angles—
crafting menus and messages that
will resonate with evolving definitions
of the concept. Here are some
of their strategies