As diners’ definition of health evolves, restaurants are tasked with a challenge: How can they offer the foods customers love—the dishes they’ll order again and again—while ensuring those dishes meet the dietary needs of their customer base?
Operators have a lot to consider when building these better-for-you menus, particularly when crafting delicious desserts. Take this quiz to assess your knowledge of what consumers want and how to deliver it.
Conclusion:
Diners are concerned with more than just calories these days. They look for natural ingredients and less processing when deciding whether to order a certain item, and are taking a more holistic view of health. As they have become more aware of what’s in the foods they eat, consumers are now looking beyond things like calories or fat when deciding whether something is healthy. Nowadays, they look for natural ingredients and a lack of artificial additives, among other attributes.
For operators looking to offer more better-for-you options on the dessert menu (and beyond) swapping in new, reformulated versions of classic ingredients, such as OREO, can be a great place to start. In fact, by highlighting known brand names, operators can even encourage more purchases. With new iterations of longtime favorite ingredients, operators can enjoy offering their customers’ favorite items with the added bonus of knowing the product contains less-processed ingredients.
Consumers are more concerned with high-quality desserts (62% say so) than those considered a healthy option (34%). Operators should highlight great ingredients when menuing sweets and treats. For instance, an ingredient such as Reformulated OREO Cookie Pieces and Base Cake, which can be used in a multitude of dessert recipes—including parfaits, milkshakes and sundaes—are made with no high fructose corn syrup.
Given that consumers increasingly are looking for menu items—including desserts—made with real (rather than artificial) ingredients, operators can encourage ordering by mentioning that a product features less-processed ingredients. For example, Reformulated OREO Cookie Pieces and Base Cake don’t contain high fructose corn syrup, making them a delicious addition to an array of desserts.
For more information on Reformulated OREO Cookie Pieces and Base Cake; and for delicious OREO recipes inspiration, you may visit this page.
This post is sponsored by Mondelēz International Foodservice