Foodservice chefs hold the power to shape consumer eating habits, serving as changemakers in introducing and generating adoption of new flavor narratives, from global cuisines to fresh riffs on menu mainstays. Chefs can also use their craft to elevate nutrition literacy and acceptance of better-for-you (BFY) food and beverage options by today’s diners. Flavor is at the heart of this challenge, but it’s not always about proving to diners that they can learn to love legumes. It’s also about partnering with stakeholders across the supply chain to develop and use BFY food solutions that don’t compromise flavor expectations.

Consider how this opportunity could play out in the breakfast/brunch space, a meal category that has a long history of offering BFY formulations of protein-packed ingredients (notably eggs and breakfast meats) and menuing fresh fruit. But when it comes to favorite grains-based morning indulgences like pancakes, waffles, French toast, cinnamon rolls and muffins? Menuing gluten-free variations is probably as far as most foodservice operations have gone in trying to improve the nutrition profile of these breakfast stalwarts.

But chefs and menu developers can do more by choosing to replace standard wheat flour in their breakfast batters and doughs with HealthSense^® High-Fiber Wheat Flour from Bay State Milling Company. It’s the only clean-label, non-GMO wheat flour in the U.S. and features up to 10 times the fiber found in traditional wheat flour—without any negative impact on flavor or performance. (Not producing such items from scratch? Large-volume operators can apply their purchasing power to encourage suppliers to use HealthSense^® Flour in custom formulations of processed items.)

To make the case for HealthSense^® Flour—and the opportunity to use it in exploration of many of today’s most captivating breakfast trends—some context is in order. A nutrition primer can help chefs understand why it’s so important to lead the charge in providing meals that are both satisfying and beneficial.

THE CHALLENGE

“While most consumers today have access to endless resources about what they should be eating, knowledge alone doesn’t translate into action,” observes Deborah Kennedy, PhD, Nutrition Doc & Chef CEO, Culinary Rehab. “The problem lies in the overwhelming number of recommendations, conflicting messages and sheer volume of choices consumers face every day. When healthy eating feels complicated, confusing or burdensome, even the most well-informed individuals struggle to consistently make better choices. The healthy choice needs to be the easy choice—and better yet, the delicious one.”

When it comes to grains-based breakfast foods—pancakes, waffles, sweet buns, pastries, breads, tortillas and more—basic nutrition knowledge is critical for making healthy choices. Kennedy highlights some essentials that foodservice chefs and their customers need to know:

• Grains-based foods can be an important source of fiber (which supports digestion, stabilizes blood sugar and promotes fullness), phytonutrients (protective plant compounds that fight inflammation and oxidative stress) and vitamins and minerals (include folate, niacin thiamin, magnesium, iron and zinc that are essential for energy production and overall health.
• While research shows that breakfast contributes, on average, 22 percent of total dietary fiber intake, many modern breakfast grains are loaded with added sugars to boost flavor. This can lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes. Worse, many breakfast grains-based items use refined grains that have had their fiber stripped away. (HealthSense^® Flour provides a valuable alternative to nutrient-deficient refined flour.)
• Numerous breakfast products “masquerade” as healthy with misleading labeling taking advantage of poor nutrition literacy.

The fiber gap in the American diet is a particular health crisis. The vast majority of Americans are consuming insufficient fiber, falling far below nutrition recommendations that address serious medical conditions. Fiber is a key nutrient that supports gut and heart health, helping to maintain desirable blood sugar, controlling appetite and balancing the gut microbiome. With more than 70 percent of immune cells residing in the gut, consuming foods rich in prebiotic fiber (like HealthSense^® Flour) creates an environment for them to thrive.

Americans are also being asked to pay greater attention to consumption of carbohydrates and added sugars, thanks to a rise in diabetes. It’s a delicate balance, because carbohydrates—along with proteins and fats—are valuable macronutrients that your body needs in large amounts to thrive, explains Kennedy. “They provide energy, support critical biological processes and are essential building blocks for growth, repair and everyday health.”

There are a few types of carbohydrates. Simple carbs are found naturally in many products (fruits, milk, veggies), as well as in the refined sugars of candy and soda. Complex carbohydrates, found in whole grains, legumes and vegetables, provide longer-lasting energy and more fiber. Fiber itself is a type of carbohydrate.

“In today’s typical grains-based breakfast foods—like pancakes, waffles, pastries, muffins and breads—there’s a noticeable imbalance in macronutrients,” notes Kennedy. “They are often simple, carb-heavy, sugar-laden and fiber- and protein-poor—creating a recipe for quick energy spikes and crashes rather than sustained, balanced nutrition.”

A SOLUTION

Fortunately, it doesn’t take much fiber to improve the nutrition of breakfast foods! According to Kennedy, a “good” source of fiber contains at least 3 grams, and foods labeled as an “excellent” source contain more than 6 grams of fiber per serving.

“HealthSense^® Flour, itself a refined wheat flour, contains up to 10 times the amount of fiber as traditional refined flours, in the form of fermentable resistant starch,” notes Colleen Zammer, vice president of Varietal Solutions Growth & Innovation, Bay State Milling. “The process of fermentation produces beneficial compounds that can provide benefits such as satiety and digestive health.”

What makes HealthSense^® Flour particularly attractive is that it doesn’t compromise expectations for taste, texture or performance. “As food industry professionals, we can deliver tasty and convenient foods without the guilt by making those foods more nutrient dense and calorie light,” says Zammer.

“Being able to prepare traditional grains-based breakfast items with the same familiar flavor and texture—but with much higher fiber—is a real game-changer for addressing the fiber gap and risk of developing diabetes,” agrees Kennedy, noting that adding high-fiber grain to breakfast addresses many immediate and long-term health issues. To be able to do this without the typical barrier of most high fiber foods—discernible and unappealing textural differences—is a huge bonus.

A whopping 95 percent of Americans are falling short on their daily fiber intake, and 38 million have diabetes (most with Type 2 diabetes). These stats alone establish the value of improving the fiber content of everyday breakfast foods. “People are already looking for healthier breakfast items, and HealthSense^® Flour is one way to close the fiber gap while delivering on the taste they love,” says Kennedy.

WAKE UP TO OPPORTUNITY

There may be no better time than the present to use HealthSense^® Flour to inject a little health sense into breakfast favorites. Breakfast is having a boom, with foodservice concepts engaging in serious flavor play by innovating around dishes with an impressive legacy. As just one example, consider the humble pancake, which is enjoying a particularly creative renaissance of forms and flavors.

Global Savory Pancakes: This trend, poised for wider adoption on brunch menus, takes its cues from street food favorites in China (jianbing or bing), Japan (okonomiyaki) and Korea (pajeon).
Eminently craveable, they are open to endless mashups.

Fun Formats: Pancakes are being used as unique breakfast sandwich carriers, whether folded to resemble tortilla shells for breakfast tacos or stacked to present mini breakfast sliders.

Social Media-Inspired Sensations: You can thank TikTok for sharing Japan’s secret to whipping up the world’s fluffiest pancakes. Cloud-like souffle pancakes are options for both breakfast and dessert.

Chefs are encouraged to embrace a responsibility to make menu items live up to their best potential. By positioning themselves as experts in emerging trends that address both flavor and nutrition, they can ensure their menus stay relevant and forward-thinking—especially when it comes to breakfast. Recent research suggests that 75 percent of U.S. adults believe that eating breakfast is an important part of staying healthy. Foodservice operations can help make this perception a reality.

Are you ready to try a high-fiber flour that really stacks up? Click here to snag a sample.