He Ain't Heavy He's My Guest: Meeting the Demand for Healthy Fare

Many moons ago, dining in a restaurant was a relatively infrequent treat for most Americans. Most people controlled their diets in their own kitchens, and dining out was an indulgence. A restaurant was not the place where you worried about your cholesterol, blood pressure or your waistline.

Today, nearly 50 cents of each U.S. food dollar is spent in restaurants. The restaurant industry is rapidly becoming the "nation's kitchen." At the same time, popular awareness of nutrition, and the health risks and benefits of certain foods and diets, is increasing. This has created challenges and opportunities for restaurateurs. On one hand, the restaurant industry has become a lightning rod for nutrition-related health problems in the United States. You need only to look as far as attempts to bring "obesity lawsuits" against quick-service restaurants (QSRs). Legislation and common sense has stalled this litigation (in part thanks to the efforts of restaurant association lobbyists). Voluntarily, major QSR chains have been quick to adapt their menus to both popular pressure and demand for healthier fare, following the lead of nutrition pathfinders such as Chili's, which has offered "Guiltless Grill" menu items with noted fat grams for more than a decade.

McDonald's offers "Happy Meals" for adults, featuring salad and bottled water. At the same franchise, parents can choose sliced apples and low-fat milk over fries and carbonated beverages when ordering kids' meals. It's no news that Subway built a national ad campaign around a seemingly nice guy who claims to have lost a great deal of weight, in part, by eating its sandwiches.

It's not all pain without gain for these restaurants. The upside of these menu changes is that restaurants are finding that they are winning the patronage of a growing segment of diners who "weigh" the health implications of everything that passes their lips. You can, too, but you need to weigh the health implications to your business.