Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Mintel Menu Insights
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Calorie disclosure legislation
- Obesity epidemic
- Restaurant sales are continuing to recover
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- Figure 1: Adjusted foodservice and drinking places sales, January 2008-March 2012
- Nutritional descriptors on menus
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- Figure 2: Top 10 ingredient nutritional claims, Q1 2009-Q1 2012
- Menu descriptors on kids’ menus
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- Figure 3: Select nutritional claims on kids’ menus, Q1 2009-Q1 2012
- Positive ingredients and preparation criteria
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- Figure 4: Ingredient and preparation criteria for healthy meals, February 2012
- Why consumers make unhealthy decisions
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- Figure 5: Drivers for unhealthy meal selection, February 2012
- Body perception versus body mass index
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- Figure 6: Body image perception, by BMI, February 2012
- What we think
Insights and Opportunities
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- Portion and Pricing
- Healthy extras: drinks and desserts
- Juices
- Smoothies
- Frozen yogurt
- Healthy technology
- WebDiet
- Touchscreen nutritional help
- Ingredients and processes
- Pink slime
- Animal treatment
- Antibiotics
- Beetle juice
Inspire Insights
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- Trend: Make It Mine
- Trend: Prove It!
Market Drivers
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- Government intervention in healthy dining
- Adult obesity and diabetes
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- Figure 7: Rate of adult obesity, by age, 2010
- Childhood obesity is driving action
- Restaurants sales are continuing to recover
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- Figure 8: Adjusted foodservice and drinking places sales, January 2008-March 2012
- Unemployment improves while underemployment remains high
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- Figure 9: Unemployment and underemployment rates, January 2007-April 2012
- Disposable personal income inches up compared to last year
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- Figure 10: Real disposable personal income, January 2007-March 2012
- Organic items are more costly
- Consumers cautiously optimistic
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- Figure 11: Consumer Sentiment Index, March 2007- April 2012
- Alternative diets drive market towards innovation
Marketing Strategies
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- Television ads
- Subway
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- Figure 12: Subway television ad, January 2012
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- Figure 13: Subway television ad, December 2011
- McDonald’s
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- Figure 14: McDonald’s television ad, March 2012
- Applebee’s
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- Figure 15: Applebee’s television ad, January 2012
- Caribou Coffee
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- Figure 16: Caribou Coffee television ad, January 2012
- Denny’s
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- Figure 17: Denny’s television ad, January 2012
- Social media
- Burger King
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- Figure 18: Burger King Twitter Feed, April 2012
- Starbucks
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- Figure 19: Starbucks Facebook page, April 2012
- Chipotle
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- Figure 20: Chipotle YouTube video series, April 2012
- Websites
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- Figure 21: Eatingwell.com monthly visitors, April 2009-April 2012
- Domino’s
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- Figure 22: Domino’s Pizza website, nutrition information, April 2012
- Au Bon Pain
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- Figure 23: Au Bon Pain website, nutrition information, April 2012
- Print media
- Wendy’s
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- Figure 24: Wendy’s beef advertisement, March 2012
Menu Insights Analysis: Item and Nutritional Claims
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- Overview
- Menu development
- Item claims
- Indulgent items reign supreme
- Better-for-you options stand strong
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- Figure 25: Top 10 menu item claims, by incidence, Q1 2009-Q1 2012
- Nutritional claims
- Negative descriptors decline
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- Figure 26: Top 10 ingredient nutritional claims, by incidence, Q1 2009-Q1 2012
- Healthy items are priced higher
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- Figure 27: Top 10 ingredient nutritional claims, by incidence and price, Q1 2009-Q1 2012
Menu Insights Analysis—Item Preparation
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- Overview
- Grilled versus fried
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- Figure 28: Top 10 cooking preparations, by incidence, Q1 2009-Q1 2012
- Disguising indulgence
Menu Insights Analysis—Kids’ Menus
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- Overview
- Use nutritional descriptors for parents
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- Figure 29: Nutritional claims on kids’ menus, by incidence, Q1 2009-Q1 2012
- Special ways to make healthy foods special
Restaurant Usage
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- Key points
- Restaurants usage varies based on operator type
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- Figure 30: Restaurant usage, by gender, February 2012
- Men visit restaurants more often than women
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- Figure 31: Restaurant usage, by gender, February 2012
- The 25-34 year olds dominate frequency for most restaurant types
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- Figure 32: Restaurant usage, by age, February 2012
- Asian demographic drawn to fast-casual concepts
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- Figure 33: Restaurant usage, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2012
- The $75K-99.9K household income group visits restaurants the most
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- Figure 34: Restaurant usage, by household income, February 2012
Changes in Consumer Behavior
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- Key points
- Consumption patterns compared to last year
- Differences among gender
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- Figure 35: Restaurant usage behavior change, by gender, February 2012
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- Figure 36: Changes in restaurant ordering behavior, by gender, February 2012
- Younger consumers are returning; older consumers are cutting back
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- Figure 37: Restaurant usage behavior change, by age, February 2012
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- Figure 38: Changes in restaurant ordering behavior, by age, February 2012
- Affluent consumers maintain usage; low-income groups cut back
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- Figure 39: Restaurant usage behavior change, by household income, February 2012
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- Figure 40: Changes in restaurant ordering behavior, by household income, February 2012
Attitudes toward Menu Descriptors
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- Key points
- Healthy meal defined
- Fat content is important to women, while cholesterol levels interest men
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- Figure 41: Nutrition criteria for healthy meals, by gender, February 2012
- Healthy meal attributes vary in importance by age
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- Figure 42: Nutrition criteria for healthy meals, by age, February 2012
- Interest in low-fat items increases with income
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- Figure 43: Nutrition criteria for healthy meals, by household income, February 2012
Calorie Perceptions
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- Key points
- Low-calorie entrées should contain less than 474 calories
- Men lead women in calorie expectations by 50 calories
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- Figure 44: Calorie perceptions for healthy meals, by gender, February 2012
- Perception of healthy calorie intake increases with age
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- Figure 45: Calorie perceptions for healthy meals, by age, February 2012
- Perception of healthy calorie intake increases with income
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- Figure 46: Calorie perceptions for healthy meals, by household income, February 2012
- Perception of healthy calorie intake spans 120 calories among races
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- Figure 47: Calorie perceptions for healthy meals, by race/Hispanic origin, February 2012
Attitudes toward Ingredients and Preparations
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- Key points
- Wellness attributes of menu descriptors
- Women more likely to consider ingredients and their prep
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- Figure 48: Ingredient and preparation criteria for healthy meals by gender, February 2012
- Interest in grilled/baked increases with age; organic decreases
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- Figure 49: Ingredient and preparation criteria for healthy meals, by age, February 2012
Why Consumers Make Unhealthy Choices
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- Key points
- Consumers order cravable indulgences
- Men look for large helpings and women want indulgences
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- Figure 50: Drivers for unhealthy meal selection, by gender, February 2012
- Younger consumers concerned about health but find portions too small
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- Figure 51: Drivers for unhealthy meal selection, by age, February 2012
Attitudes toward Healthy Dining
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- Key points
- Healthy disconnect remains between intention and behavior
- Healthy disconnect remains between intention and behavior
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- Figure 52: Consumer attitudes towards healthy dining, by gender, February 2012
- Affluent consumers more likely to eat healthfully on a seasonal basis
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- Figure 53: Consumer attitudes towards healthy dining, by household income, February 2012
Consumer BMI and Body Image
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- Key points
- The reality of body perception
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- Figure 54: Body image perception, by BMI, February 2012
- Extremely obese consumers visit fast food restaurants frequently
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- Figure 55: Restaurant usage, by BMI, February 2012
- Willpower and portion control diminish with growth in BMI
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- Figure 56: Calorie perceptions for healthy meals, by BMI, February 2012
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- Figure 57: Consumer attitudes towards healthy dining, by BMI, February 2012
- Consumers with lower BMI have more sophisticated health standards
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- Figure 58: Nutrition criteria for healthy meals, by BMI, February 2012
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- Figure 59: Ingredient and preparation criteria for healthy meals, by BMI, February 2012
Appendix—Trade Associations
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