Familiar ingredients entice consumers to healthy eating

US research has found that diners eat with their eyes rather than their stomachs, with about 38% of adults agreeing that if a healthy item sounds tasty in the menu description, they are more likely to order it. Moreover, some 27% of consumers say they like to order healthy meals with ingredients they are familiar with.

The Healthy Dining Trends report, released by market research company Mintel, endeavoured to uncover what motivates Americans to eat healthfully. According to Katrina Fajardo, a foodservice analyst at Mintel, “For consumers who are often on the fence for healthy or indulgent eating, familiarity can help ease them into healthier choices, rather than alienating them with superfoods they have not heard of or have a reputation for lacklustre taste.”

So how do Americans define healthy dining? Around 9% agree a menu item that includes a ‘gluten-free’ mention denotes a healthy choice - down from 10% last year - and 39% think dishes with more fruits and vegetables come across as healthy. Meanwhile, 37% believe an item with a low calorie count is a healthy option and 34% think a dish with less sodium is considered healthy.

Nearly one out of every four US consumers (24%) is not interested in eating healthfully when they go out to eat because they view away-from-home visits as a treat. Similarly, 24% mentioned that they look at the more healthy options but opt for the unhealthy meals instead.

“While this may sound like operators don’t necessarily need to pander toward the health-minded visitors, there is still a sizeable number of consumers who are willing to purchase healthy foods,” said Fajardo. “Operators who do not have a foundation in healthy offerings should continue to offer their traditional fare but create menu items that are either lower-calorie items [or] customised versions of main meals, or add locally sourced or organic ingredients to items in order to boost consumers’ perceptions of health on the menu without needing a full menu overhaul.”