Cef's Perception of Importance of Nutrition in Menu Planning
Pakistan Journal of Nutrition 1 (2): 85-88, 2002
© Asian Network for Scientific Information 2002
85
Chefs’ Perception of the Importance of Nutrition in Menu Planning
Lesley J. Johnson *, Carola Raab , Elena Champaner and Carolyn Leontos 1 1 2 3
Department of Food and Beverage Management, University of Nevada Las Vegas 1
Department of Hotel Management, University of Nevada Las Vegas 2
College of Cooperative Extension University of Nevada, USA 3 lesley.johnson@ccmail.nevada.edu Abstract: This study surveyed chefs attending the American Culinary Federation Chefs Forum 2001. They were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the role of nutrition in menu planning. The results showed that chefs strongly agree that food service professionals view nutrition as important in menu planning. The chefs, however, did not perceive that the number of customer requests for modified menu items was increasing or that consumers consider nutrition an important factor when selecting a restaurant. The study found that the chefs’ personal health conditions, length of work experience, and recent nutrition education were significantly related to nutrition issues in menu planning. The survey also indicated that chefs no longer perceive that the preparation of low-fat foods requires additional work, and that they can be made equal in taste to foods containing higher amounts of fat.
Key words: Chef, nutrition, menu planning
Introduction
Consumers and foodservice operators view eating out as a necessity with today’s fast-paced lifestyle (Spence, 1995; Strauss,
1994). According to a report issued by the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) (Kantor, 1998), more than two out of three adults say that going out to a restaurant with family or friends not only offers an opportunity to socialize, but optimizes their time by dispensing with cooking and cleaning tasks. The frequency of eating away from home has risen by more than two-thirds over the past two decades
© Asian Network for Scientific Information 2002
85
Chefs’ Perception of the Importance of Nutrition in Menu Planning
Lesley J. Johnson *, Carola Raab , Elena Champaner and Carolyn Leontos 1 1 2 3
Department of Food and Beverage Management, University of Nevada Las Vegas 1
Department of Hotel Management, University of Nevada Las Vegas 2
College of Cooperative Extension University of Nevada, USA 3 lesley.johnson@ccmail.nevada.edu Abstract: This study surveyed chefs attending the American Culinary Federation Chefs Forum 2001. They were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the role of nutrition in menu planning. The results showed that chefs strongly agree that food service professionals view nutrition as important in menu planning. The chefs, however, did not perceive that the number of customer requests for modified menu items was increasing or that consumers consider nutrition an important factor when selecting a restaurant. The study found that the chefs’ personal health conditions, length of work experience, and recent nutrition education were significantly related to nutrition issues in menu planning. The survey also indicated that chefs no longer perceive that the preparation of low-fat foods requires additional work, and that they can be made equal in taste to foods containing higher amounts of fat.
Key words: Chef, nutrition, menu planning
Introduction
Consumers and foodservice operators view eating out as a necessity with today’s fast-paced lifestyle (Spence, 1995; Strauss,
1994). According to a report issued by the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) (Kantor, 1998), more than two out of three adults say that going out to a restaurant with family or friends not only offers an opportunity to socialize, but optimizes their time by dispensing with cooking and cleaning tasks. The frequency of eating away from home has risen by more than two-thirds over the past two decades