Top 10 tips for generating accurate nutrition facts

Transparency on restaurant menus is a hot topic, and implementing a strategy to ensure accuracy is crucial to your restaurant’s reputation. Minimize cost and maintain your menu’s standard of excellence by reading the following 10 tips before starting recipe analysis:

  1. Do your homework on analysis methods.
    Decide whether you want to go with a laboratory analysis or a database system as an analysis solution. To prepare for a lab analysis you’ll have to figure out how to pack and send in samples as requested by the lab of choice. Because laboratory analysis is costly, most companies choose to go with database analysis. Database analysis, or analysis via calculation, involves taking data from ingredients that have been previously chemically tested and scaling those ingredients to match the amounts used in the final food product or recipe. Software companies have taken advantage of the ability to calculate nutrition information rather than extract it sample by sample. These tech-savvy tools use databases full of nutrition information of individual foods to instantly calculate a recipe’s nutritional profile.
  2. Stay current on menu labeling laws.
    These laws exist to protect restaurant operators as much as they exist to protect consumers. Knowing the ins and outs of what is expected will help you to best serve your customers and ultimately benefit your business. For example, most restaurateurs and consumers alike don’t realize that nutrition information provided, whether calories posted on menus, menu boards or food tags, allows a 20 percent discretionary margin to the composite sample of the items served.
  3. Standardize recipes.
    If you don’t already use standardized recipes, this is the perfect opportunity to write them. Establishing and following standardized recipes will not only improve the accuracy of your nutrition results, but will also help with to reduce waste and improve consistency.
  4. Get up close and personal with your scale.
    Many restaurants write their recipe specs by volume measurements (i.e. 1 cup, No. 20 scoop, fluid ounces, etc). Nutrition analysis by calculation is most accurate when ingredients are entered by weight. Having corresponding weights for your volume measurements will help speed up the process, as well as increase accuracy.
  5. Get to know your ingredients.
    Look closely at the products in your recipes to identify which exact ingredient from the database to select. Compile a thorough ingredient list. Be sure to list specific cuts of beef, not just “beef,” and specific types of oil (soybean, corn, safflower), rather than simply “oil.” Note what percentage of milk you use (1 percent, whole), and whether your jalapenos are fresh or canned. Ingredient quantities, and portion sizes are crucial when finalizing recipe specs. Using the correct ingredients from the database in the correct amounts will help assure the accuracy of your results.
  6. Gather all the facts.
    If you have specialty ingredients that are not likely to be found in the database, such as Alyson’s Bakery ciabatta rolls, and an appropriate match does not exist in the database, you will want to add this exact ingredient. A good database program should have the capability to let you enter new ingredients. You’ll need to get the nutrition facts from the product to do this. Start to gather the nutrition labels from your packaging or request them from your vendors early in the process. Having these together and on hand will save you from scrambling at the last minute.
  7. Train your staff.
    There is little point in putting the above practices in place if your kitchen staff is not trained to follow procedure and best practices. Nutrition analysis results can’t be accurate if you are serving something different than what has been entered in the recipe calculation. Make sure that proper processes, procedures, and tools are in place and enforced to help ensure that items are being served in portions as close to the original recipe specs as possible. The more consistently a portion is served, the more accurate the nutrition facts will be. This can also save on waste and food costs.
  8. No exclusions.
    In the world of nutrition, every little bit counts. Make sure that the ingredients that you list in the recipe reflect everything that the diner is served. Some hidden ingredients that are often overlooked or forgotten include: butter or spread on buns/rolls, oil absorbed during frying, marinade absorbed during marinating, garnishes (if edible), side items, such as dinner rolls served with salads. Your nutrition analysis solution should provide you with tips on how to do this.
  9. Disclaim.
    It is perfectly acceptable to let your customers know that your nutrition facts may vary. They have to understand that not all dishes are created equal and are made by human hands. Generally disclaimers for nutrition analysis in restaurants go something like this: “Variations in nutritional values may occur due to deviations in preparation, availability of ingredients, seasonal changes and custom ordering. The nutritional values provided in this guide should be considered approximations.”
  10. Ask the experts.
    Whatever your method of analysis, make sure you choose a reputable, endorsed service provider. Check with your local state or national restaurant association for a credible recommendation and possibly receive a discount. Once your analysis is complete, you will need to establish where and how to display the information to customers. When complying with menu labeling regulations, there are many rules about what font you need to use, where the information will be visible, etc. Give yourself time to work with your designer and printer.

FoodCalc is an organization dedicated to actively providing individuals, businesses and organizations the information they need to derive the significant benefits that smart food decisions can provide. For more information, go online at www.foodcalc.com.