Fast-Food Chains Steadily Offering More Healthful Alternatives

It’s not tough to spot: healthier options on the burger-laden menu of fast-food restaurants.

While some consumers see the trend of salads and oatmeal on fast-food menus as simply a publicity stunt, other customers and experts argue that restaurant-goers are buying these nutritious alternatives due to their increased awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. As a business strategy for fast food providers, it appears to be succeeding—albeit slowly.

As more consumers have gradually moved toward healthy living, fast-food restaurants want to be able to accommodate them, said R.J. Hottovy, an analyst at Morningstar Inc.

“Some of it is more of a publicity type situation to be aware of but you have seen an actual movement toward these types of products over the past decade,” Hottovy said.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Medill Reports (Chicago, IL).