Increase the nutritional benefits of your menu to cater to a health-conscious public

From protein flakes to CBD shakes, there are myriad ways to increase the nutritional benefits of your offering, in a market bursting with options to cater to health-conscious customers.

Nothing sums up the zeitgeist better than the fact that cult TV series You Are What You Eat has come back onto screen.

The reboot of the old Gillian McKeith show is still based around kicking unhealthy eating habits and starting afresh but, 15 years on, the approach is different, with good bacteria and gut health getting an early mention in the series.

Thinking has moved on in recent years when it comes to health and wellness. Flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan diets are becoming mainstream, allergy awareness is business-critical, operators expect to be asked for special diet options, and the science of nutraceutical foods and healthy diets has also come on in leaps and bounds. But good nutrition, fitness, mental wellbeing and getting the most out of your body with a healthy diet has always been a major public interest, and is more on-trend than ever in post-pandemic 2022.

Simon Solway, country manager, out of home/retail UK and IRE at Gold & Green, says that protein ingredients are a key trend, tying in with demand for flexitarian and meat-free options. With the plant-based market set to triple globally by 2027 (Statista 2021) Gold & Green has developed Protein Flakes and Protein Granules to allow chefs to serve their customers healthier and nutritious options, he says. Chefs can use the Protein Flakes to deliver a crunchy texture and the Protein Granules for a juicy, fibrous mouthfeel.

The range can be used in sweet and savoury applications, from burgers, veggie patties and falafels to fillings for plant-based pastries, pies and dumplings. They can also be used to make sandwiches and wraps for food-to-go offerings, and work well in bakery products, granola and smoothies. Gold & Green's products are made of oat bran, pea and faba bean protein, are ‘clean label' and neutral in flavour, and offer a source of protein, fibre, iron and potassium.

Joel Carr, development chef at Young's Foodservice agrees that the food trend of the moment is flexitarianism, and suggests that consumer focus on health and wellbeing has been a big driver of the move to meat-free meals.

"We predict this will continue to be a strong trend throughout 2022, so, it's important for chefs to consider some healthier dishes on their menus."

Free from and fermented

Seafood has many nutritional benefits and is a very versatile protein option, he suggests. Frozen seafood is also a convenient healthy option for a busy kitchen as it can be kept in the freezer and defrosted as needed, which helps to reduce waste and cover produce being out of stock.

Young's Scottish smoked salmon also ticks a lot of the ‘free-from' options a chef needs when putting together a menu, Carr adds.

Another big health trend of 2022 is fermented foods, and Nick Vadasz, founder of supplier Vadasz says that fermented food condiments can be used by chefs to add taste, texture, colour and superfood goodness to a wide range of dishes, from salads and sandwiches to burgers and stir-fries.

Vadasz says: "A raw, natural, clean product that is versatile enough to use across a wide range of dishes at any time of day, is hugely appealing to chefs and to customers looking for healthier options." If the kitchen understands the benefits of the raw fermentation process and is able to communicate these to customers, this will add menu appeal, he urges.

Vadasz raw kimchi, raw garlic and dill sauerkraut are naturally fermented, raw, live-cultured and rich in probiotics, which are beneficial for gut health and the immune system, he explains. Vadasz products undergo a 14- to 21-day fermentation, creating good gut bacteria and preserving vitamins and minerals.

Pot luck

As well as looking at the nutrition of what they are eating and drinking, consumers are also looking at how supplements can play a part in delivering health, both physical and mental, says Alex Tofalos, director at CBD One. CBD, the legal extract from the hemp plant, is one of the products breaking through in this area, he says, appealing to health-conscious consumers as well as those who are curious about what it is like. The company has launched Hatcha powder, hemp in powder form, to add to baked product recipes by the spoonful to create bakes such as CBD brownies. CBD One has also created a One Shot dispenser, where a water-soluble CBD emulsion can be added to hot and cold beverages to allow CBD to be delivered a shot at a time, giving customers the flexibility to pick the drink of their choice, topped up with a shot of CBD. "We believe that CBD will become a fashionable food supplement in 2022. A breakthrough into the mainstream will be made possible by the versatility of our new products, giving operators the opportunity to create custom-made bakes, drinks and hot beverages quickly and easily," Tofalos says.

Taste the flavonoids

On a more familiar note, tea suppliers suggest that tea has been hiding in plain sight as an easy-access healthy option and an easy win for restaurants on menus. Premium tea blends can tick the boxes for health-conscious diners, tying in with the emerging interest in botanicals, valued for their medicinal or therapeutic properties.

Research group Mintel's Patent Watch series looks at emerging trends, andin health and wellness, botanicals and probiotics are the two biggest areas, with fermented extracts, prebiotics, algae and fungi in the top five.

Tea is already the go-to daily refreshment for 84% of UK consumers, says Sarah Eastman, beverages category manager at ingredients supplier Henley Bridge, which includes the Dilmah tea brand in its stable. "Tea is packed with antioxidant flavonoids, which help reduce heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. It also contains B vitamins and minerals, such as manganese, plus polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory properties."

Louise Cheadle, supplier Teapigs' co-founder comments that even pre-pandemic, demand for healthier alternative premium drinks was on the rise and this will continue into 2022, she predicts.

Tea consumption is evolving, Eastman also reports: "Discerning consumers are exploring new varieties and premium brands, as well as new ways to enjoy tea. Hot and cold brews are ever-present, but bubble tea and the use of tea in cocktails and mocktails is also becoming more commonplace."

However, the operator has an important job here, and that is to bring the healthy aspects of these premium tea blends to the attention of customers, so that customers buy into them, says Cheadle at Teapigs.

She comments: "People won't buy what they can't see, so if you are championing a functional or healthier option, then make sure it's on your menu board, try point of sale for the table and definitely shout about what products you're selling on social media. People are increasingly checking Instagram rather than business websites, so if you're not posting about how great your healthy range is, then you're missing a trick."

Teapigs has launched a range of "feel-good teas" as a response to customers becoming increasingly interested in the specific benefits tea can offer, she says. Matcha green tea is also becoming more and more popular, with people switching one of their morning coffees to a matcha latte, she says. Claire Ayres, founder of premium tea brand Twist Teas, also reports that the two Twist ranges that were most in demand for January were the functional teas, such as the Sleep and Digest blends and the matcha collections.

The Covid pandemic has moved health and wellness into the spotlight, bringing healthy eating into focus beyond the traditional dry January or Veganuary windows. Additionally, from April this year, food operators with more than 250 employees will be required to provide calorie information for the foods they serve to customers, giving operators all the more reason to make sure that they are putting healthy eating on the menu.

The good news is that with the global nutraceuticals market booming, and allergy-free, gut health and meat-free categories seeing strong growth, diners will very probably be willing to pay a bit more for a meal with added health benefits.