In recent weeks, the increase in prices of fruit and vegetables made headlines, discouraging many. According to several studies, the cost of fruit and vegetables is expected to increase by 4% to 4.5% in 2016, an average increase of $ 345 per household. Of course, the restaurateurs are not spared by this increase in the cost of fruit and vegetables. They must adjust to market prices and therefore often have to either raise prices or reduce the portions served, which is not beneficial to the consumer, knowing that much of the population is hard to fill 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended by Canada's food Guide and enjoy their dining out to increase their consumption. How can restaurant owners do enjoy a reasonable amount of fruits and vegetables without paying additional sums?
Opt for cheaper vegetable season
Turn to vegetables and seasonal fruits is a great way for restaurants to enjoy their customers one to two servings of fruits and vegetables without increasing their prices. Indeed, clementines, kiwi, dates, onions, leeks, potatoes and other root vegetables are great to put at least cost to menu during the winter months as broccoli, zucchini, peppers , melons, berries and mango fields are interesting choices for summer recipes. Moreover, since making its supplies in local markets may represent 30 to 35% savings on a grocery cart, restaurateurs would do well to do so to avoid seeing their fruits and vegetables explode budget. In short, by opting for fruits and vegetables cheaper season, restaurateurs can afford not to have to cut their portions, the consumer delight.
Turn to fruits and vegetables in other formats
Although the vast majority of restaurants use fresh produce, certain revenue may be incorporated or adapted with frozen fruits and vegetables or caning during the winter months. Although often discarded, frozen vegetables are yet equally or more nutritious than fresh vegetables since they are packed within hours of harvesting, not undergoing the damage of transportation. For example, the famous cauliflower everyone has seen at $ 8 in the last weeks, sells on average $ 3.49 for the same amount in frozen format, which will be a good option for a soup with cauliflower and root vegetables. This would represent a saving of over 50% without making pay the price by the customer. For some vegetables and fruits, canned goods can be considered. Tomatoes, beans, peaches and pineapples are only examples of the many choices that restaurants can use in new revenues.
Thrift applications
If you are among people who have difficulty in meeting your recommended servings of fruits and vegetables at home, be aware that they exist now applications allowing you to target special offers and / or obtain discount coupons in large food markets directly on your smart phone. The zweet applications Save.ca, Reebee, Flipp or Snap by Groupon are among the most popular to save you.
In summary, I think the best option for restaurant during this period of price increase of fruit and vegetables is to adjust their menu according to the most advantageous offers of the season, rather than reduce or increase the portions their prices as we have seen with the price of meat. Certainly an adjustment period for chefs, but that will allow consumers to try new recipes in their favorite restaurant.
