Join Unilever Food Solutions in its commitment to remove 10 million calories from top restaurant menu items in North America by pledging in the Seductive Nutrition Challenge. By pledging, restaurant chefs and operators agree to reduce a top menu item by 100 calories and enhance the menu description of the dish to make it more appealing to guests. 

Through Aug. 31, 2012, when you pledge to join the Seductive Nutrition Challenge, you will be entered for a chance to receive an all-expenses paid trip to attend our exclusive Seductive Nutrition event at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone! Visit unileverfoodsolutions.us/challenge to pledge!

“As part of our global Sustainable Living Plan, we are committed to making a positive impact on the health and well-being of restaurant guests,” says Simon Marshall, president of Unilever Food Solutions North America. “We also recognize that in order for our customers to achieve success and deliver healthier choices for their guests, we must make the Seductive Nutrition approach fit seamlessly into their operations.”

To support your participation in the Seductive Nutrition Challenge, Unilever Food Solutions offers several resources, including the Seductive Nutrition tool, a calorie calculator, and some reduction techniques, as well as tips to enhance menu item descriptions.

• The Seductive Nutrition tool illustrates Unilever Food Solutions new approach to menu development with a before-and-after look at 10 top menu items updated with small changes to the nutrition profile and enhanced menu descriptions.
• The interactive calorie calculator demonstrates how exchanging one or two ingredients for healthier food selections, or adjusting portion sizes, can reduce total calories in one of your top dishes.
• Calorie reduction techniques from Lisa Carlson, MS, RD, nutrition manager at Unilever Food Solutions, offer suggestions for small changes to help restaurant guests benefit from slightly fewer calories while enjoying their favorite meals.
• Menu description tips developed by Chef Steve Jilleba, CMC, corporate executive chef at Unilever Food Solutions, show how to make menu items sound as appealing as they taste by enhancing ingredient descriptions, noting place of origin and adding a bit of romance language.

 

Based upon the latest World Menu Report commissioned by Unilever Food Solutions, Seductive Nutrition is a new approach to menu development that nudges guests to choose a slightly healthier option when eating out.

The report finds that while more than 65 percent of consumers surveyed said they would like a “slightly” healthier dish when eating out, they are not demanding an overhaul of menus. Therefore, instead of introducing new, “healthy” creations to your menu, focus on making small changes to your top-selling dishes to satisfy your customers.

“In recent years, chefs and restaurant operators have responded to restaurant guests’ requests for healthier dishes at restaurants and eateries by including these options on their menus,” Jilleba says. “But to encourage diners to try these dishes, we also have to design our menus so that the healthier items sound as delicious as they are so they become attractive options for restaurant guests to choose.”

From all of the participants in the “Seductive Nutrition” Challenge, 45 restaurant operators will be randomly selected to submit results demonstrating their “Seductive Nutrition” commitment. Unilever Food Solutions then will select 10 restaurant operators from the 45 finalists to receive the opportunity to present their “Seductive Nutrition” success story during a weekend-long workshop experience at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.

Unilever Food Solutions also will host workshops throughout July and August to introduce the “Seductive Nutrition Challenge” and the new Seductive Nutrition tools and resources to restaurant operators. The workshops will be held in nine markets across the U.S. and Canada, including Boston; Chicago; Kansas City, Kansas; Portland, Oregon; Providence, Rhode Island; San Francisco; Seattle; Toronto; and Washington, D.C.

“Seductive Nutrition” and the report’s focus on health and nutrition highlight one of the fundamental initiatives that Unilever Food Solutions is dedicated to addressing through its enhanced consultation services. Through its “Your Menu” service area, Unilever Food Solutions provides tools to chefs and operators to help create nutritious, healthy, and profitable menus.