Health Has its Heyday

Fast food undoubtedly conjures images of greasy burgers, overflowing tacos and pizza the size of a child. The aforementioned list is sure to either make your mouth water or your face wince, but no matter what camp you fall into, there’s no denying McDonald’s salads and wraps, Taco Bell’s low-calorie Fresco menu and Papa John’s focus on fresh-cut veggies all mean “healthy” is here to stay. Last summer, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) identified healthful alternatives as the number one trend from their annual “Hotel-Motel Show,” QSR recently named healthy kids’ meals the number two food trend of 2013 and FranchiseHelp.com, in its “Fast Food Industry 2013 at a Glance,” outlined the crucial need for fast-food chains to “battle the stigma of unhealthy food.” Watch out saturated fat and dense carbohydrates, your healthy counterparts are stealing the spots at the cool kids table in the cafeteria. “People are becoming more aware of the necessity to heat healthy to have a better living,” says Tana Walther, who opened a Pita Pit in Kent, Ohio after falling in love with the franchise while traveling with the Kent State track team in college. “The fact that what you eat actually affects the way you live is more in the spotlight. People are gaining knowledge on the topic, and that influences their choices.” Pita Pit, whose slogan is “Fresh Thinking, Healthy Eating,” found itself ahead of the game when it started franchising in 1999 and offered its avant-garde approach to fast food to the American people. Walther became involved with the brand because it jived well with her lifestyle. “I personally eat healthy, so I couldn’t be around all that horrible food every day,” she says. “Freshness is key, too. You can get food out of a bag that’s been heavily processed, so it was that combination of healthy and fresh that I was looking for.” Matt Matros, a man with similar goals as Walther, decided to take matters into his own hands after growing up overweight and losing his father to a heart attack at a young age. He founded Protein Bar, which has five locations in Chicago and one in Washington, D.C. with the mission to “change the way people eat on the go” in 2009. The restaurant serves bar-ritos, bowls and salads, as well as chili and soups high in protein and often composed of meat, quinoa, cheese and toppings. The real kicker? Each menu item is listed in stores with not only the number of calories, but also the amount of protein, fat, carbs and fiber, easily accessible as guests decide on an order. “If you’re going to have a restaurant that focuses on the health aspect, you have to list off all of the information. I saw that as a cost of entry when I first opened Protein Bar,” Matros says. “We’re very transparent about what we do, but for some restaurant chains that might have a little more to hide, it’s harder.” In April, CNN reported seeing the calories next to each item isn’t likely to affect a consumer’s decision, but a new study presented at the Experimental Biology 2012 meeting claims seeing the amount of time it would take you to work those calories off at the gym could do the trick. In fact, those who ordered off the activity-labeled menu consumed 97 fewer calories on average than those ordering from a normal menu sans labels. No matter the results, one thing is clear: the way we consume fast food and our decision process at the counter is evolving, and fast food options are changing. “I feel like we’re only in the second inning of a long baseball game in terms of restaurants getting it right and delivering what consumers want,” Matros says. “Health trends are always evolving, and it’s an iterative process. There’s always going to be a place for restaurants like ours, and I think more and more that focus on health the way we do will continue to pop up.” For a look at McDonald’s attempt to compete with more health-conscious fast food chains, such as Subway, check out the video below, courtesy of ABC, that examines the launch of the Chicken McWrap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOW7yxr7r70