Summertime is often thought of as the season for healthy eating. Today, however, we find that healthy food consumption is becoming an overarching lifestyle, no matter the time of year. This especially holds true among Hispanics, and is no surprise as the findings from our past Casual Dining and Quick Service Restaurant studies support this claim. Recently, Mintel released a report on healthy dining trends that not only mirrors what we’ve seen in the past, but also provides more insights on the importance of healthy ingredients for this consumer.
For instance, 81% of Hispanics appreciate when restaurants note healthy offerings on the menu (vs. 76% for non-Hispanics). This can help explain why they are more likely to show interest in a variety of health related claims such as all-natural ingredients, high in protein, sugar-free, and vitamin C. The sugar-free and vitamin C health claims particularly demonstrate a statistically significant increase compared to non-Hispanics— 30% of Hispanics agree sugar-free and vitamin C claims would encourage them to order a dish or beverage from a restaurant, compared to 21% for non-Hispanics. Healthy options are also important for family and children— 65% of Hispanics agree they like when restaurants offer healthy items on the kids menu vs. 59% for non-Hispanics.
So, although summertime is almost over, healthy eating is here to stay. Restaurant marketers should consider providing more details around ingredients or how a dish is made when targeting to their Hispanic customers.
