What is the role of nutrition in the hospitality industry?

Nutrition has an increasing important role in the hospitality industry for a number reasons:

1. With growing obesity rates globally, there is increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as Diabetes, Heart diseases and other inflammatory diseases. Consequently, the number of people requiring special diets low in sugar, fat, cholesterol and salt are increasing both in industrial and in developing countries

2. With increase in globalization, people travel more frequently and need to ensure they can adhere to their special diets when on the road. Consequently there is an increase in demand for healthy and delicious food when staying in hotels or eating in restaurants both in economy and luxury range.

3. With evolving medical technology, life expectancy is continuously increasing, which means people aim to live longer, and therefore are more conscious of their health in order to enjoy life in its later stages. Consequently, current trend is towards maintaining good health as long as possible, and as the scientific community recommends, a healthy diet is the most important key in prevention of all chronic diseases.

Therefore for the hospitality industry to be competitive in the new health-driven market, it must incorporate a nutritionist in their team and consider the nutritional quality of their menus as an important strategic question.