Healthy dishes are tasteless, say consumers

MORE THAN half of consumers would prefer healthy options when eating out of home, but just as many think these dishes are tasteless, un-filling and overpriced, according to Unilever Food Solutions’ latest World Menu Report.

Foodservice Footprint Cut-waste-cut-costs.-One-third-of-food-waste-is-from-leftovers-which-could-be-costing-businesses-thousands.-300x175 Healthy dishes are tasteless, say consumers Foodservice News and Information Health and Vitality Out of Home sector news  World Menu Report Unilever Food Solutions Tracey Rogers Subway Seductive Nutrition Nestlé Compass Beefeater Ambu Lunch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • New research shows that diners think ‘light’ bites are tasteless and expensive

 

The global report, which researched consumers’ attitudes towards healthy eating when dining out, also revealed that 78% of consumers want to treat themselves out of home, but 53% often substitute part of a dish for a low-calorie option.

 

To prove that healthy dishes can be tasty and appealing, UFS launched its ‘Seductive Nutrition’ World Menu Report to encourage chefs to make slight changes to their top-selling dishes, to nudge consumers towards healthier eating.

 

“Eating out should still be a treat for consumers when they want it to be and we don’t want to change this,” said UFS managing director Tracey Rogers. “Chefs have a lot of influence upon consumers’ diets, so it’s important that they understand their position and use their skills to add healthier twists to our favourite dishes.”

 

The launch of the World Menu Report follows Unilever Food Solutions’ ‘Ambu-lunch’ campaign, which encouraged chefs to slice just 24 calories from their dishes.

 

Currently, 25% of adults are classified obese and that figure is expected to rise to 50% by 2025. In Spring this year, the Government announced a calorie reduction pledge to reduce the nation’s calorie intake by five billion calories a day. The likes of Compass, Beefeater, Subway and Nestle have all signed up, as well as Unilever. UFS believes that if every chef shaved 24 calories per meal, the foodservice industry could make a huge impact on that pledge.