Although most of the customer feedback has been positive, she noted that customers sometimes complain about the blandness of the food. “There’s no salt, no sugar, no oil added,” she said. “So I coach the waiters to let customers know that the food may not be as tasty as what they’re used to. Then they won’t be taken aback by what they’re getting.” Healthy menu choices aren’t going to appeal to every customer, either. Heart Smart’s Peters noted that one previous client, a restaurant that offered only healthy-type foods, went out of business because its selection was too narrow. “People need a choice,” she said. And not every dish is suitable for dietary modification.
Some lose their palatability when the fat and sodium contents are reduced to low levels, Peters said, citing fettuccine Alfredo as a prime example. Dishes containing cheese or cream sauces are difficult to modify, dietitian Dolan noted. And chef Hartman said the poached salmon that used to be on her restaurant’s Healthy Menu had to be removed because the salmon didn’t fit the criteria for a “heart healthy” claim.
But there still are plenty of other dishes that can easily be used or reworked as more healthful food offerings. Among those cited by restaurant menu experts are grilled seafood, chicken, venison, and ostrich; spaghetti with turkey meatballs; several Mexican dishes; salads; and pasta dishes and other entrées traditionally made with wine or herb sauces. Geppetto, for example, offers a single-serving California Bambino Pizza with a whole-wheat crust, fat-reduced mozzarella cheese, tomato basil sauce, roasted garlic, fresh mushrooms, broccoli, and roasted peppers. It provides 506 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 24 milligrams of cholesterol.
