The percentage of healthy diners is growing, aligning with the increased availability of lifestyle fare, including plant-based, gluten-free and low-carb options. Millennials are the healthiest diners, but right behind them, Gen Z is the most indulgent generation, demonstrating the need for a balanced menu. Convenience and kid-friendliness are the deciding factors on where to eat – hallmarks of the fast food segment, which has the lowest consumer perception of being healthy, while fast casual restaurants have the highest reputation for healthy fare. To increase the healthy quotient, operators must provide the health-forward menu items consumers most desire, including substitutions for fried items and low-carb options.

This Report examines consumer attitudes, behaviors and trends toward eating healthy at restaurants. It explains how restaurants are menuing healthy items using the Mintel Menu Insights (MMI) database. It also examines how consumers feel about eating healthy while dining out and desired healthy menu items and attributes. To learn more about overarching trends in health and fitness, please look to Mintel’s Health and Wellbeing Reports. This Report builds off of Healthy Dining Trends – US, March 2019, along with iterations going back to 2009.