• Use ‘better for you’ ingredients: Offer brown rice instead of white rice, more fruits and vegetables, lean proteins or plant-based foods. Try to use herbs, flavors or even umami to boost taste while reducing the usage of salt.
• Rethink portion sizes: minimize calories by making portions more nutritionally-balanced: 50% fruits and vegetables, lean or plant-based protein.
• Offer more sizes on the menu to allow guests to self-select the right amount of food for their hunger. Think half sandwiches, smaller main dishes and sides or miniature desserts.
• Go steady: portions or ingredients don’t have to change overnight. Consider making the change gradual, with a 10-15% reduction in the first year, choosing lighter ingredients in the second, and further reducing the portions in the third.
• Play with the optics: when serving meat, try cutting it into smaller pieces and fanning it out to give the impression of abundance.
• Use oils sparingly: bake or grill foods instead of frying them. Offer lighter dressing and use healthy oils (avocado oil is currently trending!).