Consumers Hungry for Menu Transparency

CHICAGONew legislation will require restaurants with 20 or more locations to post calorie counts on menus, menu boards and drive-thrus and consumers are embracing the idea. According to a new Mintel survey, more than 60% of restaurant-goers say restaurants should post nutritional information on menus, and 44% think federal or local governments should facilitate such actions.
Menu transparency will allow consumers to have control over their food decisions with a complete understanding of what theyre eating, said Eric Giandelone, director of foodservice research at Mintel. However, getting people to eat healthier requires more than just posting calories or adding healthy options to the menu the food also has to taste good.

When dining out, nearly 60% of survey respondents want something that tastes great, and 23% want to eat a healthy meal. Only 14% of diners are never interested in ordering a healthy restaurant meal. Nearly half of survey respondents report eating healthier in restaurants in the past year and people have different methods for doing so. Reducing fat (67%) leads the way in strategies for adopting healthier eating habits at restaurants, followed by eating more fruits and vegetables (52%). Meanwhile, 49% of patrons are cutting calories by simply ordering less food.

From a restaurants perspective, there is a concern that healthy menu items may not sell, but there is also a danger to having a calorie-laden menu when the calorie count law starts taking effect, Giandelone said. There may be some initial consumer shock at the calorie counts and chains may have to start listing lower-calorie options or smaller portion sizes to help diffuse this unpleasant surprise.