SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTHY EATING
A BETTER
BITE
An increasing awareness of nutrition and a balanced lifestyle is pushing healthy eating into the limelight.
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hat’s your definition of healthy eating? It might be quite different from the view held by your partner, your teenage son, or your neighbour. One thing is for sure, the trend towards conscious consumption is being embraced by a more knowledgeable consumer. Accredited practising dietitian Sarah Leung is the Roll’d nutrition ambassador. She says the definition of healthy eating has changed over the years. “Consumers have always wanted quick, nourishing foods for themselves and their families but their understanding of what’s healthy has changed. Gone are the days of calorie counting and strict fad diets. ‘Health’ has been redefined to be focused on whole foods, fresh ingredients and minimal processing,” she explains. And as healthy eating is a moveable
feast, Roll’d co-founder Bao Hoang believes it’s important for franchisors to be adapting swiftly. “Challenges will always be there; they just shift focus but it’s about how quickly businesses can adapt to consumer woes of increased dietary and planetary concerns,” he says. “You can no longer avoid the importance and value of good nutrition, nor ignore climate change, which is why the Roll’d offering is constantly evolving to include more vegan and vegetarian options, less or earth-friendly packaging and innovative delivery systems.” Bao says that understanding the consumer is crucial. “At Roll’d we’re obsessed with our customers and their health, and we look to data to make the right choices. In 2020 we invested into a complete customer insights study to better understand their needs.
“Everything we do as a business rests on strong market research. We value customer and consumer feedback and actively seek out gaps in where our brand can improve or deliver more. Roll’d has always maintained strict training programs and procedures to ensure the experience is kept as a consistently high standard at each franchised store.” While a Vietnamese cuisine is often considered a healthy meal option, Sarah points out choice and education around the menu items are essential. “It’s important to provide well balanced and flexible options that are made of fresh, whole food ingredients, that the consumer understands and recognises to be healthy.” For example, Roll’d’s rice menu has the option of white or brown rice, Soldiers are available in low carb options loaded with mixed salad and up to 36-45 per cent less carbohydrates, to suit a range of individual
MAY/JULY 2021 | 48 | WWW.FRANCHISEBUSINESS.COM.AU
