Restaurant trends for 2010

[David Baxter PhD]

Restaurant trends for 2010
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., Mayo Clinic
Jan. 22, 2010

Restaurants and Institutions magazine identified 20 trends they expect to drive the foodservice business in 2010. This year's theme is foods that make diners feel good ? "good about the flavors; good about the ingredients and where they come from; and of course, good about what they're spending." I want to add one: Diners also want to feel good about their health.

Let's look at 10 of their predictions. I'll discuss the remaining 10 in my next blog.

1. Affordable cuts of meat. I'm all for less costly cuts of meat to keep the tab low. However, some of these cuts can be fatty. For tenderness, cooks may add gravy or sauces. Chef's please do diners a service by choosing the leanest cuts (loin, round or brisket) and preparing them with a nice low-fat braise for tenderness. Resist breading and frying or "larding" (inserting or surrounding meat with lard to tenderize).
2. Latin-Asian fusion. This blend of two cuisines offers tons of plant-based, flavor-filled options. Bravo to chef's who don't "Americanize" these dishes by overdoing them with artery-clogging, full-fat coconut milk, cheese, over-fried beans and fatty sausage.
3. Midday dining. To lure the noon-day crowd back from their bag lunches, restaurants are stepping up with speedy and value-oriented fare, such as mayo-laden tuna or egg salad, grilled cheese and sliders (mini hamburgers). Chances are these are all served with chips and cookies. This is one trend that could definitely cause backsliding in your health.
4. Beer. It's here, there, everywhere. It's paired like wine with menus, and it's sneaking into sauces, braises and even desserts ? adding unwanted calories and pounds. Ales and stout-types are particularly popular and are higher in alcohol and calories.
5. "Better" burgers. What does better mean? Prime? Humanely raised? Range-fed? Bottom-line: When it comes to burgers, less is better. Hamburgers should be no more than 3 ounces and served on whole-grain buns with healthy low-fat toppings. Pass on the cheese, please!
6. Eggs. Fried and served on top of burgers, sandwiches, salads and pizzas. Or hard boiled and marinated, and served as bar snacks. Eggs are fine ? in moderation. The American Heart Association says eating one egg (including yolk) a day means that you need to keep meat and dairy products in check. People with high LDL cholesterol or taking lipid-lowering medications need to keep their cholesterol under 200 mg daily ? one egg has about 215 mg.
7. Drugstore-counter desserts. Milkshakes and floats. Sugar-sweetened soda and full-fat ice cream. Spiked with liquors or espresso and topped with whipped cream. Enough said.
8. Downscale dining. Taco shacks, burger joints, sandwich shops. Simple fare can be healthy ? if you keep the breads whole, fillers lean, spreads light and toppings fresh. (Readers: Note how many times "burger" shows up in these top trends.)
9. Meatless meals. According to the article, "eschewing meat more often in the interest of health and environmental sustainability" is in style. This trend gets my thumbs-up!
10. Deep-fried. Traditional foods like fried chicken are joined by fried apple pies and even novel items like fried pickles. I say bring back roasting, baking and broiling.

What do you think of these trends? Will 2010 will be a diner's delight or a diner's dilemma?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

More restaurant trends to watch for in 2010
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Jan. 29, 2010

This week we'll continue to explore the trends that Restaurants and Institutions magazine predicts will drive business in 2010. These trends are intended to entice our palate and open our pocketbook. But what impact will they have on our health?

• Fast fine dining. Fewer courses. Pairings of similar foods on same plate — think two types of salad and two types of chicken — so you can try four items for the price of two. Family-style suppers. A positive trend from my perspective — if it's done healthfully. The customer benefits from great food for less cost. The chef benefits by needing less inventory and saving labor.
  
• Low carbon footprint. Look for more restaurants to use locally grown, seasonal foods in their simplest forms and to cook from scratch in small batches. Other healthy green practices include eschewing trans fat, using fewer "ruminant" meats such as beef and lamb, reducing food waste (by serving smaller portions) and using biodegradables. I applaud restaurants trying to go green.
  
• Healthy morning meals. According to forecasts, 20 percent of consumers say they'd be more likely to eat breakfast away from home if they had healthier options. Bravo to coffee shops serving low-fat granola, fruit and low-fat yogurt smoothies in realistic portions, and grab-and-go whole-grain pancakes, waffles and wraps.
  
• Local liquor. More restaurants will be using locally produced liquors such as whiskey, gin and vodka. Nothing too wrong with this as it helps reduce the carbon footprint. The key for the consumer is moderation. Alcohol is high in calories, cuts willpower, stimulates appetite and can contribute to unwanted calories and weight gain.
  
• Coal-fired pizza ovens. Coal burns hotter than wood, producing pizza crusts that are crispy and tender. You still need to watch the toppings and their fat and calorie content, of course. I'll leave it to the environmental specialists to decide what's better — wood, coal, gas or electric?
  
• Smoked foods. Smoking adds flavor with less fat, sugar and salt. You can smoke just about anything — vegetables, fruit, grains — in addition to traditional meats. Done on the stove top, fresh foods quickly smoked are tender and moist, not leathery. Although smoked meats have been associated with increased risk of cancer, it's not known if this lighter technique has the same association.
  
• More gluten-free options. Up to 3 million Americans have celiac disease and must avoid gluten-containing wheat, rye, barley and most oats — including additives and sub-ingredients containing them. Creative chefs are stepping up to the plate — becoming certified and offering creative, great tasting gluten-free fare.
  
• High tea. Tea tastings, tea pairings and tea-infused spirits and cocktails. Even coffee shops are morphing into tea houses. This antioxidant-rich beverage in basic black, green or white — sans sugar and cream — is good for you.
  
• Lamb is back. Like beef, this meat need not be fatty to be flavorful. Keep portions to no more than 3 ounces (85 grams) and it can fit into a healthy diet.
  
• Back to basics. Chefs are butchering their own meat and poultry, filleting fish and canning vegetables. These old-fashioned skills help lower food costs and ensure fresher, less processed fare. It's a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say.

So these last two weeks, we've seen 20 restaurant trends for 2010. They're intended to make us feel good about flavors, ingredients and preparation. But do these trends stir up good feelings about our health? What's your opinion?