Chef Mareya S. Ibrahim-Jones, Founder and CEO, GGI, INC. dba EAT CLEANER, will be presenting a session at the Bar & Restaurant Expo called “Health and Wellness Trends on the Menu” on Monday, March 27, 3:15 pm-4:00 pm. The session will feature three chef/operators who will share how to successfully develop tools to embrace the growing wellness demand, manage food allergic customers, highlight plant-based alternatives and vegan cuisine, and integrate elevated guest experience with culinary creativity and healthy options on the menu that make guests feel good.
In addition to Chef Mareya, two other chefs will be speaking:
- Keith Myron Norman, Asst Ex Chef/Food Safety Manager, South Point Hotel & Casino
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Heather Heath, CEO/Owner, Vegan Vegas Culinary School & Eatery
We caught up with Chef Mareya to learn more about why healthy options are trending on menus.
Bar & Restaurant (B&R): Why are consumers more interested in healthy options?
Chef Mareya (CM): There are so many who also have dietary restrictions, and a Harris poll reveals over 60% of the US has at least one type of allergen – and whether it’s your or someone in your family, it can be a matter of life or a trip to the hospital. Gluten-free, dairy-free, keto-friendly, paleo-friendly and vegan are all strong dietary lifestyles that have guided menu selections. That coupled with people trying to eat better for health reasons, and plant-based diets growing in the double digits, the search for good-tasting, nutritionally-dense food has become more popular than ever. We also learned after COVID that your health is an asset you can’t undervalue, and keeping your gut healthy also helps your immunity. People also are much more in tune with where food comes from due to documentaries like Food Inc. and What the Health, which is shaping people’s choices.
B&R: Do you have any advice for how on-premise owners can incorporate more healthy options onto their menus?
CM: No longer can you just offer a house salad as the ‘vegan’ option. Offering options that cater to the main dietary restrictions of Gluten-free, dairy-free, keto-friendly, paleo-friendly and vegan is a smart move, and offering swaps for standard options (gluten-free bread/bun/pasta, for example) is a must. More plant-based main courses that offer substance and delicious taste will bring people back. Also, offering locally-grown, sustainable ingredients and telling the story of those products in the menu is a nice way bring people into the story. It can be as simple as mentioning it in the description in the dish.
B&R: What can attendees expect from your conference session, “Health and Wellness Trends on the Menu”?
CM: We will look at the trends that are shaping the market in terms of actual sales and how to incorporate them into your offerings to appeal to a more ‘socially’ conscious and health-centered crowd who not only want their beautiful meal to mean something, but to taste amazing and provide them with an experience they can only get when they dine out. This stretches across meals and sides to cocktails and mocktails, too.
For a sneak peek at the trends that will be discussed, we took a look at Chef Mareya’s 2023 Healthy Trend Report.
Color
2023 may go down as the year of color as cocktails and food are kicking it up a notch. On the beverage side, colorful cocktails have always been present, but bartenders are more frequently playing with purple and pink hues (hello, Pink Squirrel) thanks to products like Crème de Noyaux and Empress 1908 Indigo Gin. Purple is also big in food thanks to the use of things like ube, which is basically a purple yam or sweet potato. Maybe these trending shades are due to the Pantone Color of the Year being Viva Magenta?
Functional Ingredients
Consumers are looking for beverages with functional ingredients, sometimes called adaptogens, which feature many benefits for health and wellness. Examples include collagen, ginseng, cbd, and more.
Water
Not-so-basic water offerings are going beyond hydration to offer consumers things like protein and electrolytes. Hard water offerings, like hard seltzers, are also continuing to expand.
Better for You Beverages
A new wave of adult beverages that cut down on things like ABV and sugar are trending as the wellness movement moves into the alcoholic beverage space.
Plan to Attend or Participate in Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 27-29, 2023
To learn about the latest trends, issues and hot topics, and to experience and taste the best products within the bar, restaurant and hospitality industry, plan to attend Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 27-29, 2023 in Las Vegas. Visit BarandRestaurantExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at Bar & Restaurant Expo, contact:
Veronica Gonnello (for companies A to G) e: [email protected] p: 212-895-8244
Tim Schultz (for companies H to Q) e: [email protected] p: 917-258-8589
Fadi Alsayegh (for companies R to Z) e: [email protected] p: 917-258-5174
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