Fruit’s the Thing, Say Meridith’s Catering and Others

Not long ago, guests at a wedding or other catered event expected to a see a table spread with decadent desserts, notes George McLoughlin, the founder of Meridith’s Catering. But as concerns about sugar continue to mount and people continue to prioritize their health, it’s more common for an event to feature healthier — but still tasty — food options like fruit. Guests might still want a small dessert, but they also want a selection of good-for-them foods to balance things out.

Health Conscious Consumers Driving Demand for Healthy Snacks

Consumers’ continued desire for healthy foods has been good news for companies that specialize in plant-based, organic or otherwise healthy-focused foods. White Wave Foods, which is behind the soy milk brand Silk and the organic dairy line Horizon, has reaped the benefits of the greater focus on health food products, according to the Motley Fool.

The Fool points out that White Wave has been the fastest growing food and beverage company for the past several years and that there is still room for growth in the segment, particularly when it comes to healthy snack options. Companies such as Inventure have begun to move into the healthy snack arena, taking advantage of an increased demand for health-conscious snacks like frozen fruit.

High sales of frozen fruit helped the company see a profit in 2012, according to Food Business News. During the third quarter of 2012, the company saw a more than 70 percent increase in the sale of frozen fruits, as well as a greater demand for its Jamba “At Home” line, which allows consumers to prepare Jamba Juice smoothies at home.

Fruit’s Still Sweet

Part of the reason that demand for fruit has risen is that it lets people feel like they are getting a sweet treat, even though the fruit itself is packed with nutrients and fiber, notes George McLoughlin of Meridith’s Catering, which serves the Main Line and surrounding areas. “Fruit can easily replace a dessert, such as cake or pie. In fact, it’s often used as the focal point of desserts, such as cherry pie or apple pie,” McLoughlin points out.

He goes on to note that companies like Meridith’s Catering are having more and more customers ask for fruit-centric dessert options. “Customers don’t necessarily want fruit pies or tarts, which are very sugary and can also be high in fat, thanks to the pie crust,” he notes. “Today, they’re asking for lighter options such as fruit trays or fruit and yogurt parfaits. It’s critical that businesses in the food service industry be able to accommodate customers’ requests. If that means moving away from traditional desserts to lighter options, so be it.”

Meridith’s Catering isn’t the only company changing its menu to meet the changing tastes of customers. Plenty of restaurants, cafes and other food service companies around the world are altering their menus to offer healthier choices. A lot of restaurants are also going out of their way to make healthy food just as appealing as more decadent options.

For example, according to Good Food, the Australian cafe Little Big Sugar Salt has created a superfood dish that is also a feast for the eyes. The menu item features acai pulp, praised by super health foodies for its antioxidant properties, arranged with chopped fruits and granola. Delicately placed flower petals elevate the dish from health food fare to something magical.

The Well, a newly opened cafe in Lancaster, Ohio, also offers customers a menu that’s full of healthy options. The cafe’s menu changes often, but features a range of gluten free and vegetarian options, as well as fruit and vegetable-based smoothies, like a beet and strawberry smoothie and a “Green Tonic,” made with kale, romaine, apple and other green vegetables and fruits.

It’s not just demand for healthier foods that is leading restaurants to change their menus. Under the Affordable Care Act, chain eateries with more than 20 locations are required to display nutritional information. Knowing that a dish has 1,500 calories might give some customers pause, and many places are taking steps to change that, according to Parade magazine.

A study from Penn State University and the University of Tennessee shows that diners considered restaurants to be more socially responsible when they made healthier food choices available and when they provided customers with easy access to the menu item’s nutritional information. Healthy menu options aren’t only good for customers’ waistlines; they are also good for a company’s bottom line.

Interest in healthier fare doesn’t mean restaurant or catered meals have become boring. The opposite is true, as chefs and event planners are using customer’s requests for healthy dishes to create tasty options with a greater nutritional value and fewer calories. When it’s allowed to star on the dessert table, fruit can happily play a leading role. Companies such as Meridith’s Catering welcome changing tastes and dietary needs, as it means they are able to get creative in the kitchen.