Changing the Game at Lunch with Whole Grains

Thus you don’t have to go very far to find operators expanding their core menu to include whole grains at the midday meal. For example, Uno Chicago Grill will make any of its thin-crust pizzas with a five-grain crust made with whole grains on request. It will likewise substitute whole grain penne for white pasta in any of its pasta dishes. Fellow Italian players like Olive Garden and Romano’s Macaroni Grill also offer whole grain pasta options. When it comes to lunchtime staples like sandwiches and wraps. Jason’s Deli, a fast-casual chain with a healthier bent, builds its popular BLT, Tuna Melt and Deli Club on whole grain wheat bread and its Philly Chick Wrap and Turkey Wrap on organic wheat wraps.

The actual game-changers, however, are introducing whole grain foods with mainstream appeal, particularly pasta made with whole grains that also tastes like traditional pasta. It represents a huge opportunity for operators because current options, while readily available, haven’t met consumers’ taste expectations. In fact, only two percent of restaurants offer whole grain pasta in any dish on the menu “It’s one of those areas of the menu that people who are interested in healthier options are willing to experiment, as long as finished recipes are deliciously satisfying,” said Hodge.

Ultragrain Pasta? from J.M. Swank brings the healthful benefits of whole grains to consumers who enjoy the flavor and texture of traditional pasta. It is made with a blend of traditional semolina and 51% Ultragrain?, the revolutionary whole wheat flour that combines the fiber, vitamins and minerals of whole grains with the milder flavor, smoother texture and lighter color of the refined flour many consumers are accustomed to.

One taste of Ultragrain Pasta, available in penne, elbow macaroni, rotini, spaghetti, lasagna and 9-grain orzo, shows that it is free of the dark color, grainy texture, brown specks and strong flavor that some consumers may have once associated with whole grains.

“The flavor is great,” said Hodge. “Your customers won’t have to compromise the taste and texture they expect just for better nutrition. From a chef’s perspective, we never want to lose an opportunity to capture flavor.”

Recent consumer research by ConAgra Mills shows that the concept of adding whole grains to a restaurant menu item does not reduce consumers’ intent to order. In fact, when consumers were shown text descriptions of whole wheat and non-whole wheat pizzas and chicken sandwiches, there were no significant differences in order interest or frequency for the whole wheat items. In addition, the consumers did not anticipate any taste differences between the two versions, but they saw the whole wheat items as more nutritious. Yet, at the same time, additional research from ConAgra Mills suggests that restaurants must deliver on those expectations, particularly when consumers don’t anticipate any taste differences. In fact, using Ultragrain and branding foods with the Ultragrain logo actually increased purchased intent. The key is for operators to menu items that are the best of both worlds: nutritious and great tasting.

Specialty whole grains can also make a big impact in lunchtime sandwiches, pizzas and baked goods because they can bring in a different consumer audience. A good way to make menu items unique is by using ConAgra Mills Ancient Grains flour blends, which are made with quinoa, teff, sorghum, millet and amaranth, whole grains with reputations for robust flavor and exceptional nutrition that date back to antiquity.

Consider the distinctive results of adding a portion of ConAgra Mills Ancient Grains flour blends to your existing baked goods formulas. “You can menu a nice Greek Sandwich on quinoa or amaranth bread or even multigrain quinoa-amaranth-teff bread,” said Hodge. “Put that on the specials board and see what happens.”

For another game-changing lunch special, try a Peruvian-inspired stew in a quinoa bread bowl. “This doesn’t pull operators out of their element,” said Hodge. “They are making bread, they are making stew, so why not bring bread up to the next level.”