It’s the season for setting fresh or renewed goals and resolutions, and while some may scoff at this January tradition, the annual rise in fitness club memberships during this month alone is ample evidence that many more seize the opportunity of the calendar flip to change behaviors, especially when it comes to health and wellness choices. While resolve may wane within weeks or months, the objective should be applauded, encouraged and supported.

The links between food and health are indisputable. Consuming too much and too little of various nutrients, and overall calories, has an impact on heart health, diabetes, gut health, cancer and other medical conditions. While many New Year’s resolutions tend to center on weight loss, an overall goal to eat “better” and address carbs, fat, sodium, sugar and fiber is also high on the good intentions list.

Unfortunately, most of us are all-too-familiar with the struggle to maintain such goals when asked to give up or cut back on our favorite foods and resist craveable culinary temptations. But chefs and menu developers can resolve to do their part by exploring options to provide guests with compromise-free, better-for-you (BFY) fare. “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 Colleen Zammer, VP of Growth and Innovation at Bay State Milling.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to replace standard wheat flour in pasta, buns, pizza dough, tortillas and other wheat-based foods 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 in traditional wheat flour—without any negative impact on flavor or performance.

White flour-based foods are among the most consumed foods in the United States, with Americans eating more than 130 pounds of pasta, pizza, breads, baked goods and so on every year. The health potential tied to changes to one ingredient—wheat flour—could be a gamechanger. HealthSense^® Flour is made from a special variety of wheat, one that is not genetically modified, but grown to naturally feature more resistant starch in the middle of the kernel. The result is a clean label product, unlike high-fiber alternatives that require processed additives. “HealthSense^® Flour provides much-needed prebiotic fiber, which improves the nutritional quality of wheat-based foods by reducing overall carbs and calories, while providing fuel for a healthy gut,” says Zammer.

Credit: Bay State Milling

Smart Strategy

Making the switch to HealthSense^® Flour makes good business sense for several reasons:

Taste

There is a common hesitancy in swapping BFY ingredients into food favorites. Not everyone embraces the flavor distinctions in, say, gluten-free cake, almond milk, whole-grain biscuits or lower-sodium soup. But when menu items contain HealthSense^® Flour, customers don’t have to “learn” to like foods made with the high-fiber flour. “Consumers are often looking to incorporate BFY benefits, as long as they don’t have to sacrifice taste,” says Zammer. “It’s especially important when eating out. We like to say the big difference with our flour is found in not noticing a difference in the taste of foods.”

Performance

In general, chefs can use HealthSense^® Flour as a 1:1 swap for other wheat flours without losing key characteristics in either preparation or the final product. There are even a few added performance benefits. For example, as it absorbs more water, particularly in bakery items, HealthSense^® Flour can produce increased recipe yields and improved cost savings. In addition, the product can enhance dough extensibility for pizza, provide greater flexibility in tortillas and reduce stickiness and sauce absorption in pasta.

GLP-1 Impact

Today’s foodservice operations have to contend with a new reality found in the rise of GLP-1 medication use. Research shows that during the first few months on the medication, consumers significantly reduce their frequency of eating outside of the home, as both their dietary needs and desires change, says Zammer. “Another change that occurs is reduced fiber consumption, which also impacts how they feel.”

A strategic response is for restaurants to provide food options that will cater to the needs of users of GLP-1s. “By including smaller portions that taste great and deliver on those lacking nutrients, like fiber, restaurateurs can both retain and draw new guests, allowing them to feel they don’t need to sacrifice flavor experiences they enjoy, such as dining out,” she continues. “Incorporating HealthSense^® Flour into foods can also attract customers who are not using GLP-1 drugs, but who seek meals that deliver satisfaction and satiety without breaking the calorie bank. This is because the prebiotic fiber in HealthSense^® Flour works with the gut microbiome to trigger the natural production of GLP-1 hormones, albeit in a natural, less intense way.”

It’s the Right Thing to Do

The fiber gap in the American diet is a bona fide 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 creates an environment for them to thrive. Widespread use of HealthSense^® Flour has the potential to effect change.

Most restauranteurs get into the foodservice and hospitality business because they want to share their own love of food and flavor with guests, not to serve as nutrition and health watchdogs. “They are providing a service that makes people happy,” says Zammer, acknowledging an understandable resistance to any BFY trade-offs that might undermine that goal. Fortunately, when it comes to using HealthSense^® Flour in favorite wheat-based menu items, there doesn’t have to be a trade-off in providing delicious and nutritious meals.

It’s the Smart Thing To Do

Operators can take a “stealth health” approach, basking in the self-satisfaction of making a health difference for their customers. Or they can differentiate their brand from the competition by promoting their BFY options that taste great. Recent research shows that more than half of consumers say they will pay more for healthy foods and beverages.

“With a high percentage of foodservice meals include wheat-based complements such as buns, tortillas, pizza crust and pasta, operators now have the opportunity to infuse those foods with gut-nourishing fiber, that also provides a superior taste experience for a comparable cost,” says Zammer.

Resolved to do the smart thing when it comes to BFY wheat-based menu items this year? Request a sample of HealthSense^® High-Fiber Wheat Flour today!