Keeping menus healthy

What's the point of having healthier options on my menu?

The fact is that more and more of your customers are following healthy eating plans. It's not just about dieting. In the UK, where we have one of the highest rates of heart disease in the world, the move towards eating better is about general good health and well-being. So ignore the trend at your peril!

What are the key areas of my menu I should look at?

Think about the fat content of your menus - especially saturated fats from dairy, meat products, desserts and fried foods - and offer alternative choices. Customers are also looking to reduce salt and sugar in their diets.

So what should I be serving more of?

Think more about fruit and veg too! Fresh fruit and vegetables are not only healthy, they make menus more exciting as they change with the seasons. Use good quality local produce and you can really enhance your own reputation as well.

So if I do this what claims can I make on my menu?

Be careful. Although you have the best interests of your customers at heart, making health claims on a menu is a really tricky area. Of course you can highlight certain menu items as "one of our healthier options", but there are strict rules guiding claims like "reduced sugar" or "high fibre". If you want to know more, contact your local trading standards department in your Council.

Professional Health and Safety Consultants

A Health and Safety help-line and internet service to assist people in the industry by providing a prompt response to any Health and Safety related problem.

www.healthandsafety.co.uk/hscater.html