Consumers want healthier menu items, but do not order them

The question of the moment for restaurant operators: Are the winds of healthy change truly blowing, or is it only so much hot air? Technomic's newest study finds that half of Canadian consumers want healthier menu items, but only about a quarter of them actively consider nutrition when dining out.

"There is often a disconnect between consumers' intentions and their actions," says Technomic EVP Darren Tristano. "Many consumers are actually making substantial changes to their overall habits, even basing which restaurants they frequent in part based on their impressions of the healthfulness of the brands. However, as many of us know from personal experience, diners do not always follow through on their intentions once it is time to order."

The 2010 Canadian Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report was developed by Technomic to help restaurants, manufacturers, and suppliers stay on top of consumer attitudes and trends as they relate to healthy eating. Interesting findings include:

-- Only 17 percent of Canadian consumers feel that food described as "healthy" on the menu does not taste as good as other options. Contrary to previously-held beliefs, it appears more consumers today feel that foods labelled as healthy can still be satisfying. -- More Canadians than Americans report maintaining a generally healthy diet. 48 percent of Canadian consumers say that their overall eating behaviour tends to be very healthy, compared with just 40 percent in the U.S. -- Cost is the main deterrent for consumers who indicate they never consume natural, local, organic or sustainable foods. 77 percent of consumers who never eat organic foods cite cost as the primary reason.

The 2010 Canadian Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report provides an in-depth look at how the Canadian foodservice industry can offer healthy options that still meet the needs and expectations of consumers. MenuMonitor Canada, Technomic's exclusive online trend tracking resource was analyzed to show how leading, emerging and independent restaurants position menu items as healthy and how this positioning has shifted in recent years. Additionally, an online survey of 1,000 Canadian consumers explores how consumer attitudes toward health shape their foodservice usage and purchasing behaviour.

This report is now available on Technomic's Consumer Access Canada, the industry's premier consumer research application for busy foodservice professionals.