Think of places you can find hearty meatless dishes and it’s probable that several come to mind pretty quickly.

A decade ago, that wasn’t so. But these days, as consumers are becoming more health conscious by the minute, many chefs and restaurants have added vegetable-only dishes to their menus. Healthy initiatives like Meatless Monday, which is celebrating its tenth year, have helped meat lovers realize they can go a day, or at least a meal, without meat.

DB Bistro Moderne in New York and other upscale restaurants that have had great success with meat-heavy dishes are finding that veggie dishes are also selling well. Since DB reopened this fall with a new selection of vegetarian offerings, its meat dishes and vegetable servings alike are popular among guests.

With only 5 percent of Americans calling themselves vegetarians (according to Gallup Poll figures), it’s most certain the trend toward vegetable dishes is due to a carnivore crossover audience, who are sometimes called  “flexitarians.”

They may be the reason that even restaurant chains are getting in on the vegetable action. In a recent article about the best vegetarian restaurant menus, CookingLight.com named several restaurant chains among the best, including Pei Wei, Jason’s Deli, Subway, Chipotle, P.F. Chang’s and Panera.

The vegetable trend also owes it success to creative chefs who have found ways innovative ways to prepare them so they are interesting, retain their individual flavors and provide hearty equivalents to dishes with meats.

Giving your dining guests the choices they want, whether meatless or not, is vital to your business’s success. If you need help planning and developing menu items that are sure to please, we’ll be glad to help. We have years of experience and hundreds of recipe ideas that can be customized for your guests.