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On The Menu’s nutrition marketing team will review your menu and recipe analysis results to determine the nutritional strengths of your restaurant. Whether your food offerings are free of gluten, low-fat, wholegrain, low-calorie or loaded with fiber, every business has nutrition marketing strategies to use to their advantage. The nutritional strengths of your restaurant can be promoted through your menu, website, a nutrition guide, table tents, brochures and newsletters.
Use nutrition marketing to increase your business and build a loyal customer base.
- Take the guesswork out of eating and make the nutrition information of your food available.
- Post calories on your menu.
- Include menu selections that meet dietary needs and trends.
- Offer heart healthy food items.
- Educate your staff on the nutritional benefits of your menu or food items.
- Make allergen information available.
- Market the overall nutrition strengths of your menu.
Here are some proven ways to use nutrition marketing to establish your health conscious image without compromising the creativity of your menu:
Healthy Eating Tips
We can prepare a list of healthy eating tips specific to your menu. These tips offer patrons ideas on how to limit or include specific nutrients (such as fat, sodium, fiber or protein), giving them the ability to dine out without compromising their dietary goals.
Healthy Menu Choices
We can determine healthy menu choices to assist your customers in finding meals that fit their dietary needs. We can also showcase these menu items in categories such as “Top 10 Dishes Lowest in Calories” to promote the health aspects of your menu.
Smart Meal Seal
The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment sponsor the Smart Meal Seal initiative, part of the Small Steps for Healthy Leaps program. This initiative allows restaurants to indicate meals that meet specific nutrition criteria with a Smart Meal Seal logo. To earn the seal, an entrée must be lower in total fat (no more than 30 percent of calories from fat), saturated fat and sodium, free of trans fat, 700 calories or less and include components such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
As the State’s suggested nutrition analyst, we can determine if your menu items qualify for the seal. We will assist you with recipe modification to guarantee qualification. The Smart Meal Seal gives your customers the confidence of knowing if a menu item meets specific health standards when dining out. Your participation in this state-wide program guarantees your restaurant the support and endorsement of the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.
Gluten-Free Labeling
Haven’t a clue about gluten-free foods? The Gluten Detectives, a division of On The Menu, solve the mystery of offering gluten-free foods.
We provide a detailed inspection of your ingredients to ensure a gluten-free product. Additionally, we give you information on preparing foods in order to prevent cross-contact as well as a list of all your foods and ingredients that are determined gluten-free. Once completed, we will post your gluten-free information our on www.gluten-detectives.com website which cross links with the Denver Metro Chapter of the Celiac Sprue Association website. These two websites are the most highly used source for people with celiac disease wanting to dine out and locate gluten-free foods in Denver and surrounding cities.
FDA rules for the use of “gluten-free” on product labels are pending January 2008.
Allergen Labeling
Every year, an estimated 150 people die from allergic reactions to food. Thousands suffer uncomfortable symptoms. Tons of manufactured foods are recalled due to undeclared food components that may cause allergic reactions. Yet each day the food industry sells meals to a population where about two in every one hundred customers experience food allergies. How do you know what ingredients may trigger allergic symptoms? On The Menu can identify the presence of the dominant eight food allergens; wheat, egg, soy, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and crustacean fish which are outlined in the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Claims
Did you know you cannot use terms such as “low-fat” and “healthy” on a menu item unless it meets the specific criteria outlined by the FDA? We know the regulations. Let us help you legally use the following FDA regulated nutrient content claims:
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A health claim is the description of an association between your food product and its potential role in reducing the risk of a disease or health-related condition. On The Menu can also assist you in making health claims.
Recipe Development and Modification
On The Menu can develop or modify recipes to highlight special ingredients or food products, meet nutrition and health claims, meet the needs of special diets or simply showcase good health and nutrition. We can work with your existing recipes or develop new, delicious and nutritious ones.
Diabetic Calculations
Eating out can be one of life’s great pleasures. Your customers with diabetes want to enjoy this pleasure and take care of their diabetes at the same time. On The Menu can determine diabetic exchanges and total carbohydrates of your meals or food products to help your customers control their blood sugar levels.
Weight Loss Information
Approximately 50 million Americans will go on diets this year. Half of American women are on a diet at any one time. Providing nutrition information, such as total calories, fat, carbohydrates, fiber and protein will encourage this vast number of Americans to continue dining out, while remaining on their diet. On The Menu is familiar with current diet trends and can recommend the weight loss information required for your customers following these diets.