More Restaurants Push Veggies

Produce has moved from the peripheral side item to center stage on the plate.

November 13, 2013

ORLANDO, Fla. – Vegetables, long related to play second fiddle to the main entrée, have undergone a quiet revolution lately as more restaurants are focusing their culinary attention on produce, USA Today reports. For example, LongHorn Steak House paid little attention to its vegetable sides until recently. Now its new Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin has taken diners by storm.

Early next year, the chain will launch a butternut squash risotto. “I guarantee you we'll be the largest seller of butternut squash in the country,” said executive chef Kurt Hankins.

The transformation of LongHorn Steak House into a place with a good variety of great-tasting veggie sides shows just how high demand for fresh vegetables has reached. More Americans are asking for — and consuming — fresh produce, and restaurants are scrambling to meet that need.

Veggies on menus have catapulted 11% during the past three years, according to Technomic. Kale in particular has jumped a whopping 400% over the past five years, appearing often on menus. Around 67% of Americans report that a vegetarian dish can be as good as a meat-based version, according to Technomic research.

Driving this change are several factors, including Millennials, the Food Network, local farmers markets, and First Lady Michelle Obama with her vegetable garden on the White House lawn. “Culturally, vegetable dishes are becoming the new normal,” said Cat Cora, who owns seven restaurants. “Vegetables are moving to the middle of the plate.”

As LongHorn Steak House shows, veggies are not the domain of celebrity chefs, but of mainstream American restaurant chains. California Pizza Kitchen has a popular Brussels + Bacon Pizza, while the Cheesecake Factory offers a Warm Asparagus Salad. “No longer reserved for the perimeter, vegetables are featured more often in center-of-the-plate arrangements,” said Kimberly Perman, director at Technomic. “They are stealing the spotlight.”

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