Our world is filled with bounty, including the infinite choices for food. Our decisions about what to eat are often based on our budget and what we enjoy eating. And this is definitely true for South Africans. 

South Africans don’t know what’s good for them 

Knorr, a much-loved brand that produces convenience products in South Africa, released the Plate of the Nation report which takes a hard look at what South Africans are eating. According to the report, healthy living is generally understood by South Africans to be eating such foods as vegetables. But there is a huge discrepancy between what has been known and what was being reported. When it comes to eating, vegetables are seen as a lesser priority than meat or starch. 

What happens when you eat fewer vegetables?

Too little vegetable consumption can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies which can have unpleasant side effects. All these vitamins play a role in eye health, immunity, brain health and more, so they’re essential every day.

Without vegetables you are:

  • Putting yourself at a higher risk of depression.
  • Putting yourself at a greater risk of disease.
  • Causing damage to your nails, hair and skin.
  • Reducing your fibre intake.

Get creative with what you serve 

To get more people to eat vegetables, you’re going to have to get a little creative. But it’s fairly easy to incorporate more vegetables into your menu. 

Start with a salad: Ask waiters to suggest to patrons the restaurant’s best salad option, one that obviously incorporates vegetables.
Go à la carte: Offer sides or vegetable appetisers, preferably ones that are created in a healthy way such as steamed, roasted or grilled.
Offer more vegetarian dishes: Try to do this in each category of your menu such as vegetarian soup, pasta (zucchini lasagna), pizza (cauliflower pizza crust) and curry. The way you substitute it in the dessert section is by offering fruit. 

Be sneaky: Sauces can be made with vegetables. If patrons have picky kids, this is the perfect way to increase their vegetable intake.

We took a look at another report by Nielsen called Understanding the eating habits of the South African population which recommends what an ideal plate should look like. This plate-serving guide will meet the nutritional requirements of your patrons: 

33% vegetables

32% starch

15% dairy

12% meat

8% fats and oils

As a responsible establishment, you can change up your restaurant management and provide your customers with healthier options. Sometimes South Africans want to be healthier, but they just don’t know how. You can become the champion of healthy eating. 

Restaurant management software

With all the food planning, you’re going to need a system that knows how to optimise your restaurant. We’re talking about Point of Sale systems. With this intuitive system in place you can:

Easily track your inventory: It’s important to manage food costs to grow your restaurant business. With Point of Sale systems, inventory can be tracked better with accurate information about product movements and usage patterns. In real time, this data can eliminate waste or shrinkage of items, ensuring that there are sufficient items in stock. In addition, users of the software can manage and monitor stock levels at remote outlets with the help of remote monitoring features.

Generate reports: Point of Sale systems can provide accurate reports on the effectiveness of implemented marketing schemes such as loyalty programmes, incentives and discounts, among others. By doing this, your business can devise effective strategies, improve relationships with existing customers and get new customers.

If you want to learn more about what Point of Sale systems can do for your business, download our infographic. 

Author : Rudi Badenhorst

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