Now the health revolution is making us mess around with everything we eat. Well, some of us: Australian obesity rates continue to soar suggesting that the fast food industry doesn't need to panic about menus just yet.
But at the other end of the spectrum Australians are embracing health with zeal, buying self help diet books by the truckload, interrogating supermarket ingredients labels and moving from one fad to the next in search of wellness utopia.
So what does this mean for the hospitality industry? Does every restaurant and cafe in the country need to reinvent its menu to keep pace with this growing band of health fanatics? Or does such an overtly proactive approach alienate those who don't care? The answers aren't yet clear as the process is still very much a work in progress. But here we can at least provide some food for thought (awful but apt pun intended).
The tasty side of the health food craze
Any conscious move by the masses to improve their general well being and enjoy a healthier, more balanced lifestyle can only be a good thing. Australians are eating more consciously as we strive to be leaner and meaner or ward off diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Many restaurant and cafe owners are apprehensive about leaping on this fast moving wave of wellness, but a healthy menu doesn't necessarily mean drowning in expensive ingredients. Some organic produce can cost a little more, but as your customer base grows around the new menu so will your buying power.
Restaurateurs already riding the wave suggest that buying organic produce in bulk can bring the price down to that of conventional ingredients. Building good relationships with organic and health food suppliers is the key to finding a happy balance that keeps your menu healthy, tasty and, most importantly, affordable.
The not so tasty side of health food
The booming health food industry is an inevitable magnet for hordes of budding entrepreneurs. A good number of these are genuine. Sadly vast numbers aren't. These days anyone with an internet connection can set themselves up as a self-confessed health and wellness guru offering the next big thing or some wacko hybrid of the last big thing. And herein lies the problem. Aside from the obvious fact that most of these supposed experts are gleefully hawking bogus products and potions to an ever-eager market, the market doesn't know whether it's coming or going.
Every health fad is the health fad. Every new wonder ingredient is the key to abundant vitality. And every next diner suddenly sees allergy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free and lactose-free as more important than pepper and salt. Restaurant kitchens now find themselves adding such faddish ingredients as quinoa, acai powder, agave syrup, buckwheat and teff flour to their shopping lists to keep up. In six months' time it will be something else.
Yet much of this health binge bandwagon is unsubstantiated. Some of it has even been proved to be utter nonsense and even harmful.
The best advice is do your research and don't overhaul your menu with every new fad. See what's standing the test of time as most health food waves soon turn to ripples.
