Catering for health: a review

Abstract

Food, nutrition and health are currently under scrutiny. British eating patterns have radically changed over the past few decades, with the emergence of a ‘grazing’, ‘snacking’ culture. Simultaneously, more food is eaten outside the home and therefore the nutritional composition of foods/meals provided by catering establishments is of increasing relevance to the diet overall. Consumers are aware of the need for a healthy lifestyle and are encouraged to follow improved eating habits to avoid ‘diseases of affluence’ such as coronary heart disease, obesity, diet-related cancer and type 2 diabetes. For both economic and health reasons caterers should be encouraged to provide healthy options; however, often misconceptions exist and gaps are evident in the nutritional knowledge of this profession. Training curricula require revision. With the right information, training and support caterers can play a vital role in improving the health of the population.