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Restaurant guests making healthful choices

For years Americans have talked about the importance of eating more healthfully in restaurants, and now it seems as if they're finally beginning to take their own advice, according to a new study from The NPD Group. The Chicago-based foodservice market research firm said consumers over the past decade have been cutting down on foods that are high in sugar or fat, and shifting more toward items that could be seen as being more nutritious. 

NPD’s CREST service has found:

• A gradual decrease in consumption of carbonated soft drinks, hot dogs, fried chicken and French fries
• A modest increase in the purchase of milk, grilled chicken and grilled chicken sandwiches, non-fried fish, breakfast cereals, fruit and yogurt.
• Broiled, baked, grilled and raw fish was ordered 111 million more times while fried fish consumption was down by 187 million orders.
• Hot and cold breakfast cereal was up by 134 million, grilled chicken not in a sandwich was up by 111 million orders and fried chicken was down by 477 million.

NPD restaurant industry analyst Bonnie Riggs said the shift could be due in part to the increasing availability of healthier foods on restaurant menus. "Restaurant operators are responding to their customers needs for healthier or light foods," she said.

Excerpted from www.NRN.com Food and Beverage, November 30, 2010