The highest proportion being in the middle to older age bracket (peaking at 65 to 74 years for men and 55 to 64 years for women). For children, there was a significant increase in those considered obese – from 5.2 per cent in 1995 to 7.8 per cent in 2007/8. Obesity among boys, particularly, had doubled.
With such startling statistics, it’s no wonder that many Australians have felt encouraged to review their own dining habits. Eating healthier foods – rather than strict dieting – seems to be the trend for people wanting to battle the bulge.
Interestingly, the younger generation is a leading force in this trend. A recent survey showed that Gen-Y diners would more likely eat lunch at a restaurant on weekdays if there was a wider choice of healthy menu options available.
All this, of course, is having some impact on restaurants, with chefs listening to customers and tweaking their menus to suit. More than would have been the case even three years ago, there is now often a variety of salads and grilled options on pub bistro menus.
BISTRO spoke to Nathan Thompson, the head chef at Zedbar in NSW’s Albury, about serving up nutritious – and tasty – fare. (The venue won ‘Best Bar Presentation and Service – Country’ at the national AHA Awards for Excellence last year.)
Keeping it simple
Thompson, who has been in the industry for nine years, says, firstly, it’s important to have pub food staples on the menu. “As long as you have Parmis and steaks, you can’t go wrong. Simple as they are, people want to come to a pub for food that they understand and recognise – not to have to bring an encyclopedia just to read the menu!”
At the same time though, Zedbar also has a wide range of healthy dishes, including six salads (comprising protein-rich items like chicken, beef, lamb and cheese, meaning these can also work as lighter-style mains), as well as grilled and vegetarian options.
Zedbar’s salads have great value as they incorporate different types of lettuces, plus yummy and vitamins and nutrient-rich avocadoes, sun-dried tomatoes, capsicum and eggplant.
Many of the dishes on the varied menu also come with creative dressings to add zest, like Japanese dipping mayonnaise, orange and cumin vinaigrette, lime and capsicum dressing, and chardonnay cream sauce.

Why it’s important
Thompson says having healthy fare on the menu reflects customer desires. “These days, people are a lot more aware of food and want to know more about it. They are becoming more health-focused, and so, the food that we do is aimed at enticing those people.”
The chef says the popularity of healthy items tends to change with the seasons, such as salads being favoured in summer. “We try to go with the seasons with our menus, so that it gives our customers something new to look forward to and also to ‘mix it up’ in the kitchen, so that the chefs don’t get stuck in a repetitive rut,” Thompson enthuses.

Healthy on the pocket
BISTRO had one burning question to put to Thompson – does having a wide choice of healthy options on the menu cost any extra in the kitchen?
Fortunately, Thompson shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. You actually save money. By using fresh, healthy ingredients, we save money on pre-done items. It is better for our customers as they appreciate things like home-made sauces. And, it also saves on prep-time (with fresh meals made quickly and grilling an easy method), which means more time to ‘prep’ for other things – or cleaning the kitchen!”
So, as you can see, providing healthy options really does make sense – for a venue’s budget, in attracting diverse clientele, and contributing to overall health in society. And, as Thompson has shown, thinking healthy is not just about throwing a bunch of leaves on the side of a plate, like an afterthought. Customers are yearning for nutritious dishes, which are tasty and show flair. So, why not deliver?

BISTRO, May 2010