Diners today have become more particular about what they want to eat and far more vocal – whether it is consuming less than 500 calories per meal or eating at least three grams of fibre, they know it all. The focus is clearly on healthy eating and many are even seeking lighter dishes. So, along with their signature dramatic flair, chefs are focusing on expanding their menus and stepping up healthy dining options to boost guest satisfaction. It may mean maintaining a precarious balance, but most chefs are happy to do that.
Elaborating Lars Windfuhr, executive chef, Park Hyatt, Hyderabad, says, “Today guests are more aware and have started becoming health-conscious. With healthy menu choices available, people are looking for the “better” options, rather than greasy, heavy meals. This is owing to an increased awareness of food-related illnesses and well-being.”
Confusion about healthy versus unhealthy fats and oils still abounds, with many mistakenly thinking it all boils down to calories of specific ingredients. Chefs are thus endeavouring to create menus where they are trying to re-think the entire category of fried foods, and see how a wider lens of healthy innovation can change the way guests view fried foods and their potential contribution towards flavour differentiation and healthy menu development.
Adding to this, Sunit Sharma, executive chef, Cidade de Goa, explains, “Health and food are two aspects of the same coin. Fast food or junk food and a sedentary lifestyle have added to the cause of ill-health. This realisation has augmented the focus and revival of traditional foods, ingredients and cooking methods. This helps chefs to roll out healthy traditional cuisine with authentic ingredients in their menus of popular cuisines.” But healthy food now no longer means boring or a restricted diet. Jameson Solomon, director F&B, Sheraton Bangalore, elaborates. “Health foods have moved from the earlier boiled, bland and tasteless options to more tasty recipes that focus on achieving good health while enjoying what you eat. The amount of fresh ingredients used has become imperative in accrediting health menus.”
Ravitej Nath, executive chef, Oberoi Gurgaon agrees, “When we designed our menu we went back to basic ingredients and cooking techniques. Even the basic, most popular dishes can be made lighter and healthier, if cooked in the right manner and the ingredients used are fresh. We look at a balance of flavours and ingredients. Each dish should not only be low-calorie, but also have the right balance of nutrients.”
Today, consumers are knowledgeable and can ask chefs hard-hitting questions about food. “The consumer wants to know more about omega-3 fats, what foods to eat to lower their cholesterol levels, how to reduce their sodium intake, etc. Our aim is to deliver the correct information to truly educate the consumer,” quips Solomon. Thus, many chefs put the calories on the menu to give people the option to pick healthy dishes.
Chefs may be in a dilemma, but clearly, they have to lead the way. “It’s a tricky balance to obtain, but with finesse of the ingredients available, it is not very difficult to deliver the same. What is really crucial for us is to develop awareness towards the good and not-so-good,” analyses executive chef Bhaskar Sankhari, ITC Grand Central, Mumbai.
And there are several factors chefs keep in mind when preparing a healthy menu. Sodium reduction for many chefs is the first step towards that. They are trying to focus on ways to leverage natural flavours and alternative flavour strategies — from herbs, spices, umami-rich foods, healthy fats and oils and produce solutions to culinary techniques — that can reduce their reliance on sodium.
With health and wellness, being key concerns, the trend is to follow healthy ingredients and cooking styles. Chefs are gladly incorporating whole grains, nuts, legumes and spices to fish and healthy oils — as well as the produce-centric cooking traditions of a variety of food cultures around the world.
“Often it can be quite confusing and hard to identify ‘healthy’ dishes on elaborate, gourmet menus at most hotels,” says Nath, and adds, “Food should be cooked and have variety. The ingredients have to be right, fresh and cooked with the right technique. The trend today is of light marinades, simple flavours and sauces. There is a harmony of flavours – sweet, sour, salty and tangy. Portions are smaller, but enough for a meal. The calorie count is measured without compromising on flavour.”
“Organic, locally-sourced ingredients, gluten free, slow cooking,” according to Chef Windfuhr are the buzzwords for chefs. Times are changing and chefs are willingly catering to the new demand for healthy menus. They are carefully researching recipes and diving into depth of ingredients to create innovative menus. “Super foods as key ingredients in recipes, cold-pressed and with high antioxidants plus low fat oils like rice bran oil/ olive oil/ walnut oil, whole grains and dark and unpolished grains, multi grains, re-discovered traditional food and native ingredients like quinoa, flax seeds, black rice, are some menu trends,” reveals Chef Sharma.
Solomon adds, “It is important to know the customer and dietary requirements that he considers as ‘beneficial’. The menu must strive for balance, emphasise variety, add contrast, think about colour and consider visual appeal.”
Moreover, he reveals, “Healthy food requests, from many guests, have been observed for all meals, but a majority has been seen during breakfast.” Hence, understandably so, chefs concentrate on breakfast and strive to offer a varied but healthy spread. Chef Nath assures, “Healthy, balanced and flavourful meal options are aplenty today, so that guests enjoy their meal and leave the calorie count to us.” Guests can settle for lighter, healthier options with low-calorie meals, without having to compromise on quality, taste or variety. “Guests want all health benefits of the ingredients with the best taste possible from an amalgamation of them,” Chef Sankhari continues.
So whether it is, Tandoori snapper tikka with avocado, grapefruit and lime cilantro vinaigrette and Stir-fry mushroom, green pea and methi tossed with tomato and cumin or something less exotic, guests may want diversity in the hotel menus, but ‘healthy’ is unmistakably the catchphrase. Taste plus health it has got to be! And chefs are obliging.
