Opinions please - New healthy restaurant menu creation!

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hbunting86
hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all

So back in the UK, my other half owns and Italian restaurant. After many years working, establishing a regular customer base we're looking to do something different and something that potentially may take off. I'm currently studying my PhD in human health and nutrition in NZ - however what we're wanting to do is create a new 'healthy choices' menu. Unlike chain restaurants, this restaurant is what you'd probably consider a 'rustic, family Italian' place.

Italian isn't really a word that is synonymous with low fat - particularly not low carb. However alongside the a la carte menu we're hoping to include a selection of around 5-6 starters and 5-6 main courses that are under 500 calories. The idea being that from years experience, the number of customers avoiding the creamier dishes is growing as people are becoming more aware of what they are eating. Even if folk aren't avoiding them - they readily acknowledge how much of a 'treat' it is to go out and often feel guilty about eating the things that are on the menu (not just our place, but many restaurants). Eating out is a big thing in the UK, so we're hoping to start to make a positive shift towards a new, healthier selection of dishes whilst still appealing to all.

So this is where you guys come in - of Italian dishes what would you REALLY fancy as a meal option under 500 calories? What appeals to you, or what are your favourite dishes that you'd try to avoid whilst dieting but would choose a healthier alternative of if one was available.

Thanks in advance...

H :)
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Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Mmmm I love Italian food - and what a great idea, I wish you every success.

    I'd go for a healthier version of carbonara.
    I'd love wholewheat pasta to be an option, and I'd also like smaller portion sizes to be offered.

    Grilled fish is always one of my favourites when eating out - if an accompanying salad had a healthy dressing, I'd find that very attractive.
  • akgary
    akgary Posts: 52
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    im from the us and we get alot of those kinda choices now im in germany and we do not get a healthier light choice at resturants...what i have been to so far, id love to see a lighter chicken parm, that would be awesome:)
  • purplepollypops
    purplepollypops Posts: 323 Member
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    Yes I agree with you, I avoid creamy Italian dishes like the plague even though I love them!
    At home I use quark or low fat creme fraiche in place of cream to keep the calories low but I've never seen this option on menus in any restaurant I've ever been to.
  • rhodesar
    rhodesar Posts: 43 Member
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    OOo where in the UK? Can I come and be a taste tester? Seriously, I recently went to a restaurant in Orlando, called Seasons 52, where nothing on the menu is over 475 calories! And the food was amazing. Google it, you can see the menu on line and it may give you some inspiration!
  • lindaj07
    lindaj07 Posts: 347 Member
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    Mmmm I love Italian food - and what a great idea, I wish you every success.

    I'd go for a healthier version of carbonara.
    I'd love wholewheat pasta to be an option, and I'd also like smaller portion sizes to be offered.

    Grilled fish is always one of my favourites when eating out - if an accompanying salad had a healthy dressing, I'd find that very attractive.

    All of the above are great ideas, especially the smaller portions option but what I would really LOVE in UK is to have nutritional values on or around the menu, like theydo in US. Would make fitness and weight control more user friendly and it's bound to happen here soon . I'd definitely be a regular then. I tend to shy away from going out for meals while losing weight because it's such a hazard, trying to estimate what you eat.
    I love tortellino when home made, with a creamy sauce, could you use yoghurt instead of cream in the sauce? That would be priceless if you could get that right!
    Good luck in your venture! I hope your restaurant is a great success.

    PS Could you open in Glasgow please!!??
  • lulabellarama
    lulabellarama Posts: 96 Member
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    A healthy lasagne would be incredible

    I second whoever said giving the option of smaller portions. Perhaps have your regular dishes but offer a half size version that comes with a large salad? This is the way I diet at home, real food, just smaller portions bulked up with veggies and salad.

    Definitely give the option of wholewheat pasta, I can't really tolerate white anymore.
  • fatlass70
    fatlass70 Posts: 136 Member
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    Hi

    this sounds like a great idea and I know it's not the same but Pizza Express have their Leggera menu which does give you some options.

    for me the options would be:
    1) smaller portions (you can still have the full flavour without having all the cals) - trouble with larger portions is I eat them all! If there's none left i can't carry on eating.
    2) creamy tasting sauces - salmon, carbonara, mushrooms etc - could you use creme fracihe etc?
    3) pizza's pepperoni is a particular favourite but I do think you could get away with having less toppings
    4) risotto seafood
    5) wine - again pizza express have their leggera wines which save you approx 50 cals per glass

    what would be great is if you could put the cals on both menus so folk can see the difference. with Pizza express you can download the menu and get cals etc before going in, but it would be great to be able to see it on the menu.


    good luck - if you go ahead let me know where you are and I may well come in for a visit!
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
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    Thanks guys! Yes I am indeed putting all of the nutritional information on the menu - it's quite a task, but I find it severely lacking in the UK as you say. I think the only place I went whilst I was there with readily available nutritional info was pub chains like JD Wetherspoons, which is SUCH a shame in the UK.

    All of the above are great ideas - my flatmates are very willing taste testers and my boyfriend (the chef) has years of experience - however he's learning that times are changing and it's time to set the standard in healthy, yet elegant and delicious a la carte food!

    Hard work, but exciting....!
  • joanneeee
    joanneeee Posts: 311 Member
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    Italian isn't really a word that is synonymous with low fat
    I am A-OK with eating fat so long as it is healthy fat. I cringe at the thought of eating a meal without any fat; especially the idea of only eating 10-20g of fat a day. We need fat. If I were to eat a meal at a restaurant that claimed the meal was healthy and there was no fat, I would be extremely disappointed. All meals should have some form of fat. As our daily intake of fat should be 25-35% roughly, I would be happy with around 10-15g of fat in that meal of -healthy- fat.
    It is sad how there is still the stigma that fat = bad and the less fat we eat, the better.
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
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    Would it not be an option to change the menu as such but to offer different portion sizes?

    So you could have the option to have a reduced size Carbonara / Arrabiata / Bolegnese etc. Also offer wholemeal pasta as an option.

    Salad always work well for those watching their calories - you could sell dressing on the side, so salads come naked unless customer chooses a dressing!

    In fact a 'build you own salad' section on the menu could be fun. You have the option to add dressings, meat or mozzeralla and other bits and pieces. Yum!
  • SuperScrabbleGirl
    SuperScrabbleGirl Posts: 310 Member
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    I would certainly offer my services as a tester, though I am a vegetarian, so I probably wouldn't be much help!

    This is a really great idea, it's so annoying that guesswork plays such a big part in eating out in the UK, especially if you choose not to go to a chain.

    I love the giant tortellini. How about pulse pasta? Or whole wheat spinach pasta? God I love pasta.

    I recently ate at Pizza Express and had one of there Leggera pizzas. I was disappointed. I'd prefer a smaller pizza, or even half pizza, loaded with topping rather than a huge pizza with a hole in the middle and practically no topping.
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
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    If it was me, I'd love that idea - but our customer base really don't 'go' for salads as a general rule. In terms of portion sizes we've tried this before, but to little avail really. I'll suggest the wholewheat pasta idea - for me that would be a good option as I really like the taste!

    As for fat, the idea is not to be a fat-free restaurant. Many many restaurants have little or no nutritional info available so the problem is making an informed choice when it comes to your meal. Too often I've heard 'oh I skipped lunch as I'm coming to the restaurant tonight' or 'I'll have to do so much extra at the gym tomorrow' - we just want people to make an informed choice. Personally, I've always believed moderation is the key and apart from milk (due to it tasting nicer imo) I don't have really anything that advocates 'lighter' or 'low fat'.

    I guess we just want to broaden the customer base so that people don't feel so guilty about going out to restaurants or worry about logging calories/working them off/wondering what on earth they ate.
  • city_of_frogs
    city_of_frogs Posts: 101 Member
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    It would definately be carbonara for me.

    I absolutely love it, but because I know its full of cream and cheese, I avoid it all together.
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,590 Member
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    OOo where in the UK? Can I come and be a taste tester? Seriously, I recently went to a restaurant in Orlando, called Seasons 52, where nothing on the menu is over 475 calories! And the food was amazing. Google it, you can see the menu on line and it may give you some inspiration!

    I LOVE tomato, basil and mozzarella salad for a starter - with lower fat mozzarella of course...! And Minestrone doesn't have to be high in cals, LOVE it too!!

    Right, I'm off to Google that menu, even though I'm in the UK I wil get some ideas from it! Mmmm... that looks seriously good!!
  • tanyaevans5
    tanyaevans5 Posts: 25
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    Hi
    I dont eat out that much so when the treat does come along I am not too bothered about going over my calories for one day. I go more with everything in moderation and as long as u dont go mad and use going out as an excuse to have everything u havent had for weeks u should be ok.

    I do love pasta a lot more than pizza but always believe if ur going to have a dish and treat urself dont be messing about trying to make things low fat as u lose some of the taste. Recently I have had what i wanted when i have gone out put cut the dish in to two and eaten half - its up to the diner then. Good luck with ur venture.
    Tanya
  • louisee294
    louisee294 Posts: 140 Member
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    As a low-carber I would would love to see some big meaty meals with a carb and fibre count, as on Atkins the net carbs are worked out Carbs minus Fibre. Any meal with 5 net carbs or lower is perfect.

    A twist on a carbonara would be good, with bacon and chicken in a carbonara sauce with a green salad or green pan fried veg :) Yums

    Or a steak with a tomato and olive sauce. mmm
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Best. Idea. Ever!

    I'd love to see healthy versions of puttanesca, pizzas (one with potato,rocket and prosciutto was my favourite ever!), hearty stews (like the wild boar ones you get in Sardinia), a further vote for carbonara and lasagne, chicken parmigiana, gnocchi in a creamy or cheesy sauce, chicken cacciatore and ANYTHING that involves pasta and beans.

    I'm hungry, can you tell?!
  • Brownski860
    Brownski860 Posts: 361 Member
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    Since someone already mentioned lasagna.. I would loveto see a healthier version of manicotti, stuffed shells and raviolli!
  • ndswimchick22
    ndswimchick22 Posts: 58 Member
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    At an Italian restaurant by my house they have this amazing grilled chicken and garlic spinach dish. I always get it there!
  • kitinboots
    kitinboots Posts: 589 Member
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    Make a healthy pizza option please. I find a regular sized pizza in a restaurant far too big, and always end up leaving my crust. A smaller version, using enough toppings but not overloaded, would be amazing.

    And have you considered asking customers if they want the bread basket/breadsticks or not before they're brought to the table? I find them extremely difficult to resist if they're in front of me, but wouldn't miss them if they were absent. I'd love to avoid that extra temptation.

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