This major change was thanks to the introduction of government legislation in 2022 that made it a legal requirement for large food businesses to provide calorific information to customers on all of their menus. In this article, we will discuss why, beyond calorie labelling, healthy eating is hospitality’s next big trend.

Why Consumers Are Choosing To Eat Better

Healthy eating trends generally come and go, but consumers’ food preferences today are entirely different to the trends of previous years. Social media has, without a doubt, played an influential part in driving the healthy eating and wellness shift, which has made accessing nutritional advice easier than ever. Social media has also given rise to wellness influencers who showcase their healthy living habits for people to follow and be inspired by. 

Another reason why today’s consumers are interested in living healthier lives is due to improved scientific knowledge of the negative effects that artificial and processed ingredients have on our overall health. It’s widely known that these less-nutritious foods can be linked to life-threatening diseases and health issues such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even some cancers. These scientific developments have paved the way for whole-food and all-natural diets, adopted by hundreds of thousands of health-conscious consumers across the country.

​Another influential factor in changing eating habits today is the changing attitudes towards mental health. As awareness of the link between diet and mental wellbeing grows among younger generations, more consumers are adopting eating habits designed to support both mind and body.

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How Healthy Eating Is Changing The Hospitality Industry

For a period of time, as healthy eating started to make its first appearance, businesses in the hospitality industry remained largely the same, mainly because it had less of an impact on how customers dine and eat out. Today, things look remarkably different. In cities up and down the country, consumers are noticing the rise of brand-new healthy eating options such as poke and Buddha bowls. It’s not only in the UK’s major cities that the healthy eating movement is reshaping the hospitality industry, with clean-eating restaurants also emerging across smaller regions of the country. 

Pre-existing businesses, who didn’t want to lose customers to the clean eating trend, have spruced up their menus with healthier eating options or new ingredients which are minimally processed. The positive for these businesses is that health-conscious customers will be willing to pay more for healthier dishes, especially those with high-quality ingredients which stand out on the menu. To source these ingredients at a much lower cost and make the most profit per dish, restaurants should focus on sourcing ingredients locally. 

Healthy eating has had an impact on alcohol consumption as well as eating preferences. Consumers are interested in low or alcohol-free alternatives that are often lower in fat and sugar, as well as come with fewer alcohol-induced side effects.

Plant-based diets continue to grow in popularity thanks to the rise of wellness-minded consumers, and have encouraged hospitality businesses to cater their dishes to these dietary needs. In fact, some newer businesses are rising to the changing customer demands and will have entirely plant-based menus attracting vegans, vegetarians and mindful consumers nationwide.

How Can Businesses Adapt To This Change?

It’s important for hospitality businesses not to feel threatened by how healthy eating is changing the industry. While it’s becoming imperative for restaurants and takeaway services to offer healthy alternatives to customers prioritising their wellbeing, it’s not necessary to completely overhaul your menu or services. After all, consumers who already enjoy and love your services will return with the hopes of having the same experience again. Changing how you operate too much can turn away customers you’re used to seeing regularly. 

The key for businesses looking to keep up with the healthy eating lifestyle is to make small and regular changes to their menu and offerings so that customers can still enjoy the dishes they love, but with fresher and healthier ingredients. Smaller-scale and family-run businesses can also do the same.

For example, CREM Kitchen is an independently-owned restaurant in Romford, that’s bringing cuisines from all across the globe and serving them with fresh and healthy ingredients. Transparency with consumers is also key. Sometimes, understanding the ingredients used in the dishes you offer is enough for consumers to feel confident in choosing them. The younger generations may be strongly health-focused, but they do understand the importance of balance, which is why simply being honest with the ingredients you use could be enough to keep customers happy and returning.

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