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Will restaurants work to meet new dietary guidelines?

There's a new food sheriff in town in the form of the federal government's new dietary guidelines, but many restaurants aren't going to find it difficult to offer menu items that meet those guidelines.

January 22, 2016 by Travis Wagoner — Editor, Networld Media Group

There's a new food sheriff in town in the form of the federal government's new dietary guidelines, but many restaurants aren't going to find it difficult to offer menu items that meet those guidelines, according to the National Restaurant Association, which noted that there has been a growing trend of restaurants offering more healthful food choices.

"In fact, 85 percent of American adults say there are more healthy options at restaurants than compared to just two years ago," said Joan McGlockton, vice president of Industry Affairs and Food Policy for the National Restaurant Association.

Among the guidelines for Americans' eating habits are the recommendation to limit added sugar to less than 10 percent of calories; that people eat more fruit, vegetables and whole wheat; and cutting salt and saturated fats, according to an NBC News report. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture considered advice from nutrition and public health experts, food industry experts, farmers and politicians. HHS also considered 29,000 comments submitted by the public before publishing the new guidelines.

"We welcome the Dietary Guidelines' recommendations around a total dietary meal pattern which focuses on increasing consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables," McGlockton said.

Betsy Craig, CEO of MenuTrinfro LLC, said the new guidelines are in place to help people develop healthier eating habits, not to police what each person must do every day.

"Eating out is a treat that many enjoy for special occasions and celebrations, and I hope that never changes for folks," said Craig, who answered a few other questions about how the dietary guidelines could affect restaurant menus.

Q: For the first time, the guidelines recommend limiting added sugar to 10 percent or less of calories. It's been know known for years that excess sugar can cause diabetes and other illnesses. Why did it take so long for this new recommendation?

Craig: The delay may very well to have been a result of the research being available today addressing added sugars as opposed to naturally occurring sugars. Added sugars in items like soda and or baked goods now are proven to me much more harmful. Manufacturers have seen this need for added sugars to be called out for some time now and are making the shift.  

Q: The guidelines also recommend that people eat more fruit, vegetables and whole wheat and point out most Americans do not eat a healthy diet, are overweight and risk getting heart disease and other illnesses as a result. If Americans aren't eating whole wheat, what kind of wheat are we eating?

Craig: Great question about the wheat. The difference between whole wheat and non-whole wheat has to do with how refined that wheat is. The more refined the less nutrients on the negative side but more shelf-stable on the positive side. Whole grains are by name unrefined, therefore they are much higher in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, being better for the body.  

Q: In your opinion, why don't more Americans eat more fruit, vegetables and whole wheat? Cost? Convenience? Other factors?

Craig: Great question and I believe it is all of the reasons you ask. Also it has not been the go to as the child grows to be a young adult. If you grew up eating Tasty Cakes like me, then it takes time, effort and desire to change the behavior and habit. I changed my habits due to medical reasons.  

Q. In your opinion, how will this guideline affect restaurant menus? Or are restaurants simply serving what customers want?

Craig: I think the guidelines will have an effect on restaurants as the consumer is looking for different options, asking for full transparency. What we are seeing at MenuTrinfo is a huge desire from a large number of our clients to develop many different types of menus from gluten-free to dairy free, peanut-free and many other variations.

Q: The guidelines suggest cutting salt and saturated fat but stop short of telling people to eat less red or processed meat despite the strong evidence that both can cause cancer.

Craig: I was surprised that the guidelines did not go there this time around.  

Q: Why would the guidelines refrain from telling people to eat less red or processed meat?

Craig: I wish I knew the answer to that question, but I can only guess.

Q: In your opinion, will restaurants serve less red or processed meat?

Craig: Yes, I 100 percent believe that restaurants will serve more options and answer the call for less meat, less processed meat and more plant-based diet options.  

Q: According to the NBC News report, despite heavy lobbying by the food industry, the guidelines — which set the standard for federal food programs such as school lunches and food stamps — also recommend that most people get 2,300 mg of salt a day or less. The average American gets 3,400 mg a day — and that can lead to high blood pressure. More than 90 percent of children and 89 percent of adults aged 19 and older eat too much sodium, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report released that coincided with the new guidelines. "More than three quarters of sodium in the American diet is estimated to come from processed and restaurant food, which gives consumers little choice when it comes to lowering daily intake," the CDC said. "A key strategy for lowering population-wide sodium intake is gradually reducing sodium in the food supply." Why is there so much sodium in restaurant food? Shelf-life? Preservative?

Craig: Yes on all fronts. Shelf-life, taste profile, hereditary, ingredients using salt for taste, baking soda, are all reasons that food ends up being high in sodium. The laws in New York City have brought the large amounts of salt to the consumers' awareness thanks to the law set in place on Dec 1, 2015, with a symbol required on any menu item over the daily recommended amount of salt of 2,300 mg.  

Q: Will restaurants be able to reduce the amount of sodium in the food they serve? Will they try? 

Craig: Yes they can, and the jury is still out if they will try. I personally believe they will try on some options to answer the call from consumers.

The National Restaurant Association agrees.

"The restaurant industry has made great strides in offering an increased variety of beverage options on menus like water, juice and milk that reflect the DGA recommendations," McGlockton said. "Restaurants also continue to show their commitment to developing and offering lower-sodium menu options for consumers. We look forward to continuing to work with restaurant operators and chefs to provide even more healthful menu options for adults and children."

About Travis Wagoner

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Travis Wagoner spent nearly 18 years in education as an alumni relations and communications director, coordinating numerous annual events and writing, editing and producing a quarterly, 72-plus-page magazine. Travis also was a ghostwriter for an insurance firm, writing about the Affordable Care Act. He holds a BA degree in communications/public relations from Xavier University.