Smaller portions keep healthy eating on track

A big “want” from the customers who frequent Compass’ 2,000 corporate cafes is smaller portion sizes, says Mike Fiato, vice president of customer experience at the contract company. “The millennials have really changed our cafes,” says Fiato, who regularly conducts focus groups with the thousands of diners in the Compass portfolio.

To satisfy this large workforce demographic, he has added two sizes to his action, ethnic and exhibition stations, and smaller, four-ounce portions with more side options at the deli and grill stations. In addition, the cafes now offer half sandwiches with fruit and side salads, and smaller protein portions at entree stations—a four-ounce piece of salmon with three sides, for example. Fiato says the new sizes have been especially popular among Gen X-ers and millennial women.

With an eye toward helping customers eat more healthfully, foodservice operators are paying attention not only to what is on the plate, but how much is on that plate. Large portions not only provide more calories, but 2012 research from New York University shows they also encourage people to eat more and to underestimate how much they are eating. The bottom line: Bigger portions are contributing to high obesity rates, a point addressed in the January revise of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

Related:What Gen X wants from foodservice

Also in January, Eurest, the food and vending organization that operates 1,935 onsite corporate dining locations nationwide, launched F.U.E.L., which stands for food, unity, energy, life and promotes small-portion and grazing options for breakfast and lunch. F.U.E.L. choices are offered throughout each facility and at a dedicated F.U.E.L. station. “Our customer base is changing, and we need to change with them,” says Lisa Lahiji, vice president of marketing for Eurest.

Sodexo’s Mindful program includes lower-calorie, smaller-portioned menu items for every station—entrees, deli, grill, salad bar, soup and even pizza. Menu items include a “Mindful” grilled-chicken sandwich that includes three ounces of chicken instead of the regular five. Additionally, items can be affixed with a scannable barcode that syncs with MyFitnessPal and Fitbit apps. “Because we are a food company, we are all about the food, but we do try to take a holistic approach to wellness,” says Kate Giere, a regional wellness director for the Sodexo Business and Industry team.

Wade Garza, a unit manager and chef at University of California Santa Cruz, has controlled portions by switching from self-service to full-service stations. His staff serves all customers using color-coded, preportioned scoops. “The nutritional information for our recipes is now accurate because we are serving the right portion size,” says Garza.  

Related:What millennials want from foodservice