How can you use menu design to promote healthy eating options?

1 The psychology of menu design

Your menu is a form of communication that can affect how your customers perceive your food, your brand, and your values. The way you present your dishes, the words you use, the colors you choose, and the layout you create can all influence your customers' decisions and satisfaction. For example, research has shown that using descriptive names, positive adjectives, and sensory details can make your dishes more attractive and increase sales. Similarly, using colors that match your theme, mood, and cuisine can create a consistent and appealing image. Moreover, the way you organize and categorize your menu can also affect how your customers compare and select their options. For instance, you can use different fonts, sizes, shapes, and symbols to highlight your healthy dishes and draw attention to them.

2 The importance of healthy eating options

Offering healthy eating options is not only beneficial for your customers' health and well-being, but also for your business reputation and profitability. Customers today are more aware and concerned about their dietary needs, preferences, and values. They are looking for menus that cater to their diverse and specific requirements, such as gluten-free, vegan, organic, or low-carb. By providing healthy eating options, you can attract more customers, increase loyalty, and differentiate yourself from your competitors. Moreover, you can also reduce your food costs, waste, and environmental impact by using fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients.

3 The challenges of promoting healthy eating options

However, promoting healthy eating options is not always easy or straightforward. You may face some challenges and barriers that prevent your customers from choosing them. For example, some customers may have negative associations or stereotypes about healthy food, such as being bland, boring, or expensive. Others may be influenced by social norms or peer pressure to order unhealthy or indulgent dishes. Furthermore, some customers may be unaware or confused about the nutritional value or ingredients of your dishes. Therefore, you need to use menu design to overcome these challenges and persuade your customers to opt for healthy eating options.

4 The best practices of menu design for healthy eating

To promote healthy eating options in your hospitality business, you should follow certain best practices when it comes to menu design. Use positive and descriptive language to describe your healthy dishes, such as roasted, grilled, organic, or local. Visual cues and symbols can be used to make healthy dishes stand out, like green leaves, stars, circles, or badges. Additionally, strategic placement and categorization can draw attention to healthy dishes and make them easier to find. Price anchoring and bundling can also make healthy dishes more affordable and attractive by using a high-priced dish as a reference point or offering them as part of a set or combo.

5 The benefits of menu design for healthy eating

By using menu design to promote healthy eating options, you can enjoy several benefits for your hospitality business, such as increasing sales and revenue, improving customer satisfaction and retention, boosting your brand image and reputation, and reducing food costs and waste. You can appeal to a wider and more loyal customer base by increasing the perceived value and quality of your dishes. Additionally, you can meet customer needs, preferences, and expectations by enhancing their dining experience and enjoyment. Moreover, you can demonstrate your commitment to health, wellness, and sustainability by creating a positive and distinctive identity. Finally, you can optimize your portion sizes and inventory by using less processed, packaged, and perishable ingredients.

6 The examples of menu design for healthy eating

To inspire you and give you some ideas, here are some examples of menu design for healthy eating from different hospitality businesses. For instance, a vegan restaurant may use colorful and creative names, images, and icons to showcase its dishes, such as “Rainbow Salad”, “Mushroom Magic Burger”, and “Green Goddess Smoothie”. A coffee shop may use descriptive and sensory language, labels, and symbols to highlight its healthy options, like “Freshly Baked Whole Wheat Muffin”, “Organic Fair Trade Coffee”, and “Gluten-Free Brownie”. Furthermore, a pizza place could use strategic placement, categorization, and bundling to promote its healthy choices - like putting its “Veggie Lovers” pizza at the top of the menu, grouping its “Light and Crispy” pizzas in a separate section, and offering its “Salad and Slice” combo for a lower price.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?