Principle 7: Lead With Menu Messaging Around Flavor

To sell healthy and sustainable food choices, lead with messages about flavor, rather than actively marketing health attributes. Research shows that taste trumps nearly all, even if customers want chefs, on some level, to help them avoid foods that increase their risk of chronic disease. Additional research shows that labeling a healthy menu option as healthy can decrease the likelihood of a diner choosing it, whereas using indulgent or flavor-focused descriptions can actually increase the appeal of that same dish.

The best approach to menu messaging is to emphasize deliciousness. Messages that chefs care and are paying attention to how and from whom they are sourcing their ingredients—such as by naming specific farms and growing practices (e.g., organic)—can also enhance perceptions of healthier food choices (if, in fact, these choices are healthier—i.e., that they are also consistent with guidance for optimal nutrition).