What are the benefits of the FOOD programme for my business?

A European project that will contribute to adapt your restaurant's offer to the growing demand for healthy food.

1. Be part of a European network of health-promoting restaurants.

FOOD is a European project launched in 2009 and aims to promote healthy eating among employees and customers through a network of more than 370,000 restaurants in 10 EU countries.

2. Contributes to support a Best Practice recognised by the European Commission.

The FOOD programme has been recognised by the European Commission as a Best Practice to serve as an example for the implementation of initiatives contributing to a healthy lifestyle.

3. Offer your customers what they are demanding

77% of the customers of the network of FOOD restaurants consider that, when choosing a restaurant, one of the most relevant criteria is the nutritional quality of the menus offered in the establishment.

4. Plan a healthy food supply

The basis of the FOOD programme is to create healthy food environments, so restaurants are guided so that their gastronomic offer enables and facilitates their customers to make a healthy and balanced choice. In short, the aim is to increase the likelihood that a customer will make a healthy choice from the alternatives that the restaurant offers.

5. Improve business opportunities

Adhering to the FOOD programme and contributing to the creation of food environments through healthy gastronomic offerings improves the business opportunity for restaurants, helping them to differentiate themselves from their competitors, thus improving business opportunity and customer loyalty. In Spain, 2 out of every 3 workers eat in catering establishments, hence the restaurant is an ideal place to give the customer what they are looking for.

6. Increases food literacy of workers and clients.

Being part of the FOOD initiative will help you, as an entrepreneur, to acquire knowledge about healthy eating that you can apply to your gastronomic offer, but it will also be an opportunity for your employees and customers to improve their knowledge about healthy eating and apply it in their daily lives.

7. Contributes to improved worker productivity

According to the World Labour Organisation, workers who have access to healthy menus and food can increase productivity and reduce absenteeism. In addition, a balanced diet promotes the well-being of employees, and helps prevent diseases resulting from unhealthy eating, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and others.

8. Make customers aware of the importance of healthy eating.

Communicating to your customers that you have added more fresh fruit and vegetables, pulses, wholemeal foods, healthy combinations on the menu, traditional recipes from the Mediterranean diet, etc. to your usual gastronomic offer will make your customers and employees aware of the importance of healthy eating for their health.

9. Do more with the same investment

Taking advantage of seasonal and local foods, incorporating menus and a wide range of healthy foods, as well as reducing the quantity and frequency of meats, sausages, fatty cheeses or sauces, have a great impact on the business as they not only improve the nutritional quality of the offer, but also reduce costs.

10. Improve the gastronomic offer

The FOOD programme focuses on ensuring that the gastronomic offer makes it easier for your customers to access dishes and recipes based on fruit and vegetables, whole grains, pulses, fish, eggs and lean white meat. In addition, it proposes reformulating recipes so that they are lower in fat, promotes the consumption of water, facilitates the choice of fresh fruit for dessert and eliminates the salt shaker from the tables, to be handed out only if the customer requests it. It also offers the option of ordering half menus and half portions, thus indirectly helping to reduce food waste.