ARE RESTAURANTS CATERING TO VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS

 



There is no denying that the number of vegetarians and vegans in our society is on the rise.  This may be for various reasons, such as religious beliefs, moral choices, or a desire for a healthy meat-free lifestyle.  Whatever the reason, more and more people are opting to stick to a vegetarian or vegan diet.

The number of people opting for meat-free diets has been on the rise over the years, but are restaurants and caterers rising to the occasion?

Most of us are accustomed to being served with a little vegetable on the side of our meals, but there are others that make it a main course.  Being vegetarian does not mean having a bowl of salad as their only choice.

Managing everyone’s individual dietary preferences can be complicated.  We are stumped when it comes to ordering for our vegetarian friends and family.  

What exactly do they eat?

Vegetarians do not eat fish or meat, except for a few who will eat some fish occasionally.  

We should also bear in mind that non-vegetarian ingredients can hide in seemingly vegetarian dishes, in the form of meat stocks and broths, cooking fats, fish sauce, shrimp paste, and gelatin.

In most restaurants, all the items on the menu are geared towards meat lovers, except for the occasional salad and sometimes fish.

With increased awareness by individuals trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, restaurant owners should do more in providing a wider variety of meals for those of us who wish to improve our eating habits.

Occasionally when dining out, especially with friends and families, who are vegetarians, it usually takes some time researching where we can find the best place that can cater to our individual preferences.

Having good vegetarian options on the menu will broaden the customer base, which means the restaurant is automatically ready to cater for practically any customer who walks through the door.

High quality vegetarian dishes are a great solution for restaurants and caterers to attract more customers.  Providing healthy, satisfying meals will ensure that your customers maintain a healthy lifestyle as well as having satisfied customers that keep coming back.

There are those of us who are not strict vegetarians, but we do try to eat a healthy meal when we get the chance.  We might have been encouraged to eat more plant based foods for health reasons, or just to try something different from the everyday fast foods.

If you have noticed that your customers are becoming increasingly health-conscious, you should consider accommodating them.  While adding more vegetarian and vegan dishes to the menu may seem complicated and expensive, it is actually very easy to prepare these tasty meals.

The main reasons for the absence of vegetarian dishes from some restaurants’ menus are:-

1.   Providing vegetarian dishes will mean more dishes to prepare and sourcing more      ingredients.
2.   Staff has no training in the preparation of these dishes, and how to present them      to customers, which very important.
3.   The cost in acquire the ingredients.  Ingredients for vegetarian dishes tend to be        a bit more expensive than for regular meals.
4.   One reason given by a restaurant owner, for not providing these dishes is, there         are not enough customers requesting these meals.  They are not requesting               them, because they are not on the menu.  Once customers know that this                 particular restaurant has what they want, they will come. If they are satisfied,           they will not only come back, but they will spread the word.



In the long term, providing a wide variety of dishes for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians will take some amount of research, planning, and creativity.  Ingredients for making these vegetarian dishes are widely available.

Staff should also be educated about the dishes they prepare, how to prepare them, and present them to customers in a way to make it appetizing.

Staff should not only be serving meals because it is on the menu, but they should be aware of what they are serving, and what are the benefits of these alternatives to the customers and to the business.

By providing more options for customers, restaurants owners also show that they are listening, and that they care about their customers’ health.  Anyone in the business of providing food or thinking of starting a business in this area, should be aware of lifestyle changes, and how they are willing contribute positively to this change, by providing healthier alternatives.  

Business owners should not just think about the viability of their businesses, but go the extra mile to ensure that they are providing healthier alternatives for their customers.

Accommodating vegans and vegetarians with an innovative restaurant menu will make customers feel welcome and boost their profits in the long term. 

This is a win win situation for both business owners and customers.









 

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