Oct. 23, 2013, Washington – The National Restaurant Association (NRA) released its On The Menu: Restaurant Nutrition Initiatives report that offers insight into nutrition trends and initiatives in the U.S. restaurant industry.
"Nutrition and wellness are a top priority for the restaurant industry," said Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, in a media statement. "With consumers having an increased interest in health and nutrition, particularly over the past several years, our industry continues to find ways to meet the growing demand for nutritious options. This report highlights the great work restaurants are doing to promote health and wellness, as well as the challenges and goals currently facing the industry."
As part of the industry's commitment to nutrition, the NRA created the Kids LiveWell program in collaboration with Healthy Dining. The program is designed to help children make healthier choices when dining out. Since its launch, the program has gone from 140 to more than 41,000 locations in the U.S.
In addition, the NRA led an industry coalition to establish uniform nutrition information for consumers nationwide. In the U.S., the federal menu labeling standard will require restaurant chains with 20 or more locations operating under the same brand to provide detailed nutrition information to consumers on menus and menu boards.
According to the NRA's 2013 Restaurant Industry Forecast, 86 per cent of adults say there are more healthy options at restaurants than there were two years ago and 71 per cent of adults say they are trying to eat healthier now at restaurants than they did two years ago.
The association’s research also shows that a third of all adults have gone online to get nutrition data on restaurant food and four of the top ten hottest menu trends in the association's What's Hot in 2013 Chef survey are nutrition related, including healthful kids' meals and gluten-free cuisine.
On The Menu: Restaurant Nutrition Initiatives can be downloaded for free here.
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