Technomic Finds Restaurants Ready For New Year's Resolutions

CHICAGO, Dec. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the New Year approaches, many Americans will make resolutions, often involving diets and healthy eating. Technomic has found that an increasing number of restaurants are able to meet these consumers' needs by creating dishes that are low in fat, calories and sugar and proudly describing these healthful properties. In fact, use of the word "healthy" within menu descriptions has increased by 86 percent over the past year.

The findings are part of Technomic's ongoing examination of items being added to leading independent and chain restaurant menus, which are collected quarterly and are available on Technomic's searchable online MenuMonitor database.

"Dieting consumers don't always view restaurants as a safe place to eat, either because they don't recognize diet-compatible options, or are too tempted to indulge themselves when eating out," says Technomic Executive Vice President Darren Tristano. "However, the number of healthful dishes offered at restaurants continues to grow, and operators are increasingly interested in touting healthy benefits on their menus."

The number of times "low fat" was used to describe menu items has increased by 33 percent over last year, while the incidence of "fat free" and/or "non-fat" have gone up by 12 percent. The phrase "no sugar" has increased by 51 percent, year over year. And though it's used much less often than these other healthful adjectives, "low-calorie" is on 154 percent more menus than last year.

Some of the new better-for-you items added to menus include:

• Starbucks' new Reduced Fat Turkey Bacon & White Cheddar breakfast sandwich.
• Romano's Macaroni Grill "Lite" menu additions such as Chicken Spiedini, Pollo Caprese, and Warm Spinach and Shrimp Salad.
• Abuelo's Skinny Margaritas, promising "fabulous flavor with half the calories of a regular margarita."
• Jack In The Box's line of fat-free smoothies in strawberry-banana, mango and strawberry varieties.
• Sonic Drive-Ins' new apple slices are served with fat free caramel dipping sauce.

If your New Year's resolution is to quit smoking, the restaurant industry can help you with that too. According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, 75 percent of the U.S. population is covered by state and local laws that completely prohibit smoking in restaurants.

Technomic's online MenuMonitor database provides instant access to menus from over 2,000 restaurants globally. Subscribers can search by menu items, mealpart, specific ingredients and more, and apply powerful trend-tracking tools. To learn more, please contact Patrick Noone at 312-506-3852 or [email protected].

Contacts
Press Inquiries: Darren Tristano, 312-506-3850, or [email protected]  
Purchasing Details: Patrick Noone, 312-506-3852, or [email protected]

About Technomic
Technomic provides clients with the facts, insights and consulting support they need to enhance their business strategies, decisions and results. Its services include numerous publications and digital products, as well as proprietary studies and ongoing research on all aspects of the food industry.

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SOURCE Technomic