Healthy eating is not a new trend however finding new and tasty ways to serve up vegetables is a new trend in restaurants. With many consumers watching their waist lines or looking for menu options that are heart or cholesterol friendly; chefs are incorporating a plethora of produce into dishes. Below are a few popular ways restaurants are catering to diner’s cravings for healthier options with foods that make people feel good while providing great flavor.

Fire up Taste: Vegetables slow roasted on a barbeque or over the embers of an open wood fire contain a rich, smoky flavor. They taste is pleasing and satisfying to diners, reminding many of a good steak or hamburger. Vegetables cooked over a fire can be enjoyed by diners as a succulent, colorful and flavorful side dish or as an entrée when topping a wood-fired pizza.

Go Meat-less: Provide diners with many menu options that are vegetable based or feature one day each week (i.e. Meatless Mondays) to showcase veggie only dishes. Diners will enjoy appetizing options filled with color and aroma and learn that great taste does not always have to come from meat.

Fry it Up: Some diners may be a little more challenging to please and resistant to trying vegetables. When presented with fried cauliflower, kale chips or beer battered broccoli they may have a change of heart. Even the most dreaded vegetables can taste great fried. Many enjoy fried vegetables as a different yet delectable appetizer or in a larger portion size as an entrée.

Let the wholesale food distributor help your restaurant offer diners healthy, vegetable menu options that are pleasing to their taste buds with our wide assortment of fresh produce; including many organic options. Our desire to provide the best quality products to customers assists in imparting fresh, delicious dishes to your diners. Offering healthy choices filled with flavor will keep your establishment hip and trendy with flavorful and sumptuous vegetable dishes that leave customers happy, satisfied and looking to return again soon.

A trip to your favorite eatery would not be complete without a beautiful and sinfully delicious dessert. Industry trend watchers have a few dessert picks with promise that will enhance your restaurant’s menu while also enticing diners to enjoy their visit to your establishment a little longer…and keep them coming back for more. Want to act on some of these? Contact this wholesale food distributor.

Pies: Cupcakes have definitely topped out as the trend du jour. The new ‘cupcake’ on the horizon looks to be pie. This dessert option has the ability to be comprised of different essences ranging from savory to sweet and can also be manipulated into all sizes. Traditional pies well compliment different types of menus from casual cafe to fine dining. Patrons will enjoy slight variations on the conventional desert like bite-sized mini pies or deep-fried pies offered as a daily menu choice or when listed as a special.

Alcohol: Grown ups like to indulge in desserts and many enjoy alcohol with their adult treats. Sprits used as flavorings are in fashion and have a history in restaurant dessert-making tradition. Diners may have fun, especially in the summer months, delighting in a Popsicle for mature taste buds spiked with exotic and alcoholic flavors. These creations are like a cocktail on a stick.

Protein: Dessert does not always mean sweet…savory tastes have recently invaded dessert menus and diners are enjoying every scrumptious bite. Many are ending meals with a few bites from cheese trays or they are treating themselves to other exceptional protein-rich choices like bacon with chocolate. Hmmm…

Soft Serve: Soft serve ice cream is a favorite for many as the traditional cold, creamy dessert usually evokes happy memories. The chilly confection is malleable and can be tailored to meet most restaurants needs and can well compliment nearly any menu. High-end interpretations are often savory in flavor while other establishments feature smooth frozen fruit. Soft serve is a crowd pleaser and a slight twist on the time-honored dessert is fun and tasty.

The four dessert trends above offer the opportunity to add a few delectable and different dessert options to your menu which leave diners with a great last impression.

I just saw a news report that corn crops are starting to become more plentiful. What does that mean? It means that this “could” affect food prices in a good way. We may see some relief as a result. As a food distributor that serves all of New England, we like to see this.

More crops or a larger crop of corn can ease grain shortages which in turn, help with the lowering of food costs. Any variation in crops whether its corn or wheat has the ability to cause food prices to rise or fall. Also, many of the foods we eat rely on these crops and grain as a food source for cattle, and other animals etc.. that we also depend on for beef and poultry. So we can see the affects across the board.

The USDA said recently that 880 bushels of corn might be left over after the harvest begins this fall. As a result, we could see certain prices drop. We have not seen this in some time due to a whole host of reasons around the globe. We have seen steady increases in various products due to grain prices, droughts and fires, and of course fuel costs, something that is pretty much out of our control.

If you’re a restaurant operator, this is great news as you’ll be able to maintain adequate food costs for your operation and be able to continue to offer your customers values without the threat of having to raise your prices over and over again. As we say, this wholesale food distributor has you covered so keep in touch with us and stay tuned for more good news hopefully…

Want to read the full story? Click here.  http://www.detnews.com/article/20110713/BIZ/107130333/1001

Good news to restaurant owners… According to a recent survey conducted by AlixPartners LLP, a global business-advisory firm, Americans are eating out at restaurants with greater frequency. The survey found that 70% of Americans ate out once per week this year as opposed to 49% from the same time in 2010. This is certainly good news and we believe, indicative of better times to come. The survey also pointed out that consumers are more and more looking toward finding good deals and ways to be frugal but, they are eating out which is good news.

AGAR recognizes the increasing food prices and the need to stay on top of the demand at a price that is affordable and we continue our efforts to work with you and all our vendors to come up the best solutions. It’s an ongoing challenge but one that is blanketed by the good news and hope of a more profitable year for all of us; especially you the restaurant operator.  

Managing Director of AlixPartners, Adam Werner adds this hopeful note, “We’re seeing a lot of improvement in the restaurant industry and the overall outlook is positive.” Convenience stores and casual dining especially are experiencing the bulk of this economic growth with a 68% increase in frequency within the fourth quarter of 2010 alone.

Werner goes on to caution that budgeting and coupon-seeking is here to stay but AGAR is a solution seeking company and wants to focus on the positive – it may be a slow climb but it is a climb nonetheless – good news for everyone!

More to come as they say…