This year's National Restaurant Association's Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, May 5-8, will feature a new pavilion focused entirely on healthful children's options.
The special section of the exhibit floor at Chicago's McCormick Place will showcase a variety of healthier food and beverage products to help foodservice operators with children's menu planning. Food and beverage manufacturers will highlight products with limited fats, sugars and sodium, as well as items that provide essential nutrients.
The association added the pavilion because children's nutrition is one of the strongest trends in the restaurant industry, according to Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the NRA.
Additionally, the Kids LiveWell program, launched in July in partnership with Healthy Dining, has generated even more interest in the topic.
Inaugural participants include Au Bon Pain, Burger King, Burgerville, Corner Bakery Cafe, Cracker Barrel, Denny's, El Pollo Loco, zpizza and more.
"The success of our new Kids LiveWell program demonstrates that the industry is on the right track when it comes to highlighting nutritious options on menus nationwide. To further support this effort, we created the Healthier Kids Fare pavilion at NRA Show 2012 so that restaurant operators can explore the newest and most innovative food and beverage products related to children's nutrition on the market today, and continue to expand such options on their menus," Sweeney said.
The Kids LiveWell program also will be featured at the show, as part of the NRA booth #6300.
Exhibitors in the Healthier Kids Fare pavilion do not have to meet the Kids LiveWell criteria, but must feature products that contribute to a healthier diet. For more information, visit the NRA show website.
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