Restaurant Trends: Catering to Health Choices

Accommodating the dietary needs of diners has long been one of the aims of most restaurants. Offering various options or possible substitutions for diners with vegetarian or vegan preferences has been a long standing accommodation. More recently, as more and more people discover that they have an allergy to gluten, or are just adjusting their diets to be gluten free, restaurants are adding gluten free options to their menus as well.

There are a number of theories out that attempt to explain why there has been such a rise in gluten allergies.  Whether it is a steady diet of white bread and processed flours or if it simply a reliance on other processed foods, there has been a steady increase, particularly in the United States and Australia, of Celiac Disease.  Even more establishments are adopting a low gluten or a gluten free diet.

Gluten is the substance present in various grains, especially wheat.  It is the element in bread that is responsible for its elastic texture.  Those who suffer from Celiac Disease have an intestinal hyper sensitivity to gluten and have difficulty digesting foods that have gluten in it.  It can be a very painful disease.

Other allergies, such as lactose intolerance are also being taken into consideration when promoting a restaurant’s menu options. Lactose is a type of sugar that is found in milk and other dairy products.  Soy milk is often used to replace it in many recipes.

Restaurants that have a desire to be on the forefront of the trend are publicizing their options and, in many cases, advertising entire sections of the menu as gluten free.  All of this effort is to add to the dining experience.

Regardless of whether or not your restaurant has opted to go with a gluten free menu, it’s still important to give a good impression to your guests. Fiumara Apparel can help you do just that with our latest offerings for culinary apparel for the kitchen staff as well as for the front of house.  We have uniforms that are perfect for any décor and for any budget.