Aside from adding color to your plate, varying hues of food options often imply a healthier diet. Fruits add bursts of nearly every shade, while most vegetables lend earthy, green tones to complement a meal. That’s why it’s no surprise that the phrase ‘you eat with your eyes’ is more than just an adage; when it comes to food presentation or plating, studies show that children prefer six food colors and seven different food components while adults prefer three colors and three food components in a given meal.
Nobody is more attuned to these bits of information than foodservice professionals, who incorporate research findings into their product – that is, the intricately plated and dazzling presentations of food that begin in the kitchen and end up on table eight. Compared to home-cooked meals that are often thrown together at the end of a long day, restaurant food is almost always more aesthetically pleasing, and offers the variety that consumers crave. That’s why, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), households with incomes of $100,000 or higher are responsible for 36% of the total spending on food away from home, and visits to fine-dining restaurants were up 3% in the past year (meaning there were thousands, if not millions, more Americans dining in upscale restaurants). The upscale segment of the restaurant industry makes up approximately 10% of total U.S. restaurant sales as it stands, and the average fine dining cost per person in the U.S. amounts to $28.55.
As restaurant patronage increases, the demand for more eye-catching and innovative dishes takes a seat at the head of the table. Hence, the usage of elements in dishes that are both distinctive and environmentally friendly. Organic micro greens, in particular,fit the bill. They’re striking, but not intrusive; they don’t create waste, but can make a culinary creation. To the delight of chefs, there is also not any shortage of organic micro greens — there are perhaps 100 types of common garden flowers that are both edible and palatable, and have been around for the past 20-30 years. Aside from specialty produce, the family of organic micro greens also extends to edible flower petals, micro herbs, and more.
Given their appeal to the eye and the environment as a tasty accent, the use of organic micro greens in foodservice is poised to become a trend in the industry.
