Health refresh

Impress your customers and give your new-year sales a welcome boost with a focus on healthy eating

Christmas and New Year will have surely seen people indulging more than usual, so come January they’ll be wanting to put that behind them and focus on a healthy start to 2021. But the way consumers see eating healthily is changing, focusing more on personalisation and less on dieting. Tailor your offering to reflect that and you’ll make the most of this lucrative opportunity.

GETTING PERSONAL

Consumers’ definition of ‘healthy’ has changed over recent years, according to Nestlé’s Food & Beverage Industry Trends 2020 report. People are starting to take a more personal approach to their health that encompasses their whole wellbeing. Terms such as low-fat are being replaced by all-natural and free-from. You can embrace this by just tweaking a few ingredients, such as:

» replace a ready-made sauce with a home-made one

» use almond or coconut milk instead of cow’s milk

» leave out processed meats and opt for lean protein such as chicken, tuna or eggs

» ditch the mayo for plain Greek yogurt.

The report also suggests people want to tailor their food choices to their specific needs. This could mean offering a choice of side dishes with a main meal or a variety of toppings for a salad, giving the option to swap out mayo for avocado in sandwiches, providing a free-from version of popular foods, pre-prepared sandwiches with and without mayo, jacket potatoes with a selection of toppings, or mix and match salad pots, for example.

INCLUDE SOME OF THESE PHRASES ON YOUR MENU TO DRAW IN THE HEALTHY EATING CROWD

» Fresh and seasonal ingredients.

» Natural and unprocessed.

» Lean proteins – turkey, chicken, lean beef, pork loin, white fish, plain Greek yogurt, pulses and light tofu.

» Nutritional foods – dark leafy greens and wholegrains.

» Allergen-free options.

» Build-your-own – offer customers the chance to customise their meal from a selection of ingredients, such as for salads, sandwich fillings and lean burger toppings.

NATURAL BOOST

There’s an increased demand for foods that are fortified and enriched with extra nutrients to give added benefits, such as lowering cholesterol and boosting the immune system. A sizeable 32% of consumers would pay more for items that have functional benefits (Technomic, 2016 Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report), which makes it an appealing proposition for your business.

Green tea with its many benefits, including antioxidants and antiinflammatory properties, is an easy add to a drinks menu. Oats, wholegrains, beans, berries, garlic and cold-water fish, such as salmon and sardines, are all ingredients to base dishes around. Try these simple ideas:

» oatmeal topped with nuts, dried fruits and berries – oats help reduce cholesterol

» tuna salad – tuna, as with all ‘fatty’ fishes, is a great source of omega-3, which is good for the heart and has anti-inflammatory properties

» ginger flapjacks – ginger aids digestion and helps with digestive issues such as bloating

» pomegranate yogurt – yogurt is packed with probiotics, which are good for gut health and boosting the immune system.

A CLEAN START

With consumers looking for less processed foods that are kinder to our systems, expand your free-from choices, making sure it includes dairy-free and meat-free. Regularly introducing new flavours will encourage new and repeat custom and keep diners interested too.

A menu that offers flavour, choice and value is always a winner and adding in options that reflect healthy eating trends may well appeal to more diners than you’d expect.

CARROT & COCONUT SOUP

A vegan soup that’s gluten and dairy-free too.

»PREP: 10 MINS »COOK: 20 MINS »SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS: 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced; 1 tsp curry powder; 1 tsp turmeric; 750ml vegetable broth; 450g carrots, sliced ½cm thick; 225g sweet potato, cut into ½cm cubes; 150ml coconut milk; salt and white pepper

METHOD

1 Heat oil in a pan. Sauté the onion for about 5 mins, or until soft.

2 Add garlic and ginger and continue to sauté for another minute.

3 Add curry powder and turmeric and mix well. Add broth, carrots and sweet potato and simmer on medium-high heat until vegetables are tender, about 15 mins. Add coconut milk.

4 Blend in batches. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat to serve.

MUSHROOM & CHEESE OMELETTE

This omelette is packed with protein, fibre and healthy fats.

»PREP 10 MINS »COOK 5 MINS »SERVES 1

INGREDIENTS: 3 tbsp mushrooms, chopped; knob of butter; 3 eggs; salt and pepper; ½ tbsp coconut oil; 2 tbsp cheese, grated; 1 tbsp chives or coriander, chopped, optional

METHOD

1 Lightly sauté mushrooms in the butter, then set aside.

2 Crack eggs into a mixing bowl, season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then beat well with a fork or whisk until fully combined and frothy.

3 Place a small non-stick frying pan on a low heat to warm up. Add the oil to the hot pan, then carefully pour in the beaten eggs.

4 Tilt the pan to spread them out evenly, using a fork to swirl the eggs around the pan a little. When theomelette begins to firm up, but is still raw on top, sprinkle over the mushrooms and cheese. Add chopped chives or coriander on top, if using.

5 Using a spatula, ease around the edges of the omelette, then fold it over in half. When it starts to turn golden brown underneath, remove the pan from the heat and slide the omelette on to a plate. Delicious served with fresh rocket and a tomato salad.

APPLE PIE OATMEAL

»PREP 5 MINS »COOK 15 MINS »SERVES 3

INGREDIENTS: 750ml water; ½ tsp kosher salt; 250g whole rolled oats; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 110g unsweetened apple sauce; 1 medium gala apple, chopped; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tbsp pure maple syrup; 55g walnuts, chopped

METHOD

1 Combine water and salt in a pan over high heat. Once water is boiling, lower heat and add in oats. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 mins.


2 Add the vanilla extract, unsweetened apple sauce, two thirds of the chopped apple, ground cinnamon and maple syrup to the oats and whisk. Continue to cook for 5 mins until most of the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 5 mins.

3 When ready to serve, pour into a bowl. Top with chopped walnuts and the remaining apple or other garnish. Can be stored in airtight containers for up to 5 days in the fridge or is suitable for freezing.