Catering to Clean Eating

It can be challenging to keep up with the ever-evolving list of dietary restrictions: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, and nut-free to name just a few. According to the International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) 2022 Food and Health Survey, 52% of Americans follow a specific diet or eating pattern, a 13% increase from 39% in 2021.

However, for many consumers (and chefs alike) there is one style of eating that is quickly becoming the default due to its health benefits and the fact that it can be customized to any diet: clean eating, which refers to eating foods as close as possible to their natural state. According to the IFIC survey, clean eating is one of the most popular eating patterns with 16% surveyed (followed by mindful eating at 14%, calorie counting at 13%, and plant-based at 12%).

“Clean eating for caterers is an opportunity to do what they do best—create delicious meals from scratch that surprise and delight, using local ingredients direct from the farm,” says Tracy Stuckrath (thrive! meetings & events). “It also allows them to more easily design menus around other dietary needs attendees may have by knowing what is in the menu item and how to adapt the recipe to meet needs.”

So, let’s take a look at clean eating: what it is, how to implement it into your menus, and how it can ultimately put you in a better standing with your clients. 

Read the full article on Catersource.com to learn more!