Cook Healthy Comfort Food Diners Crave with These Bulk Ingredients

Diners love comfort food, but having healthy alternatives to classic, stick to your ribs meals can help boost your customer base. In fact, eating healthy is a top trend among consumers. Towards the end of 2020, stats revealed that interest in immune-boosting meals was up 23 percent. Plus, the low-carb diet lifestyle is still trending upward, with an anticipated 6.4 percent growth rate in 2021. 

Are you looking to cash in on the growing health trend while still giving customers homestyle comfort foods? Check out these innovative ingredients readily available at your restaurant supply store. 

What are the Best Nutritious Bulk Foods for Restaurants?

There is a wealth of high-quality, wholesome foods to be found at your grocery supply store. While every restaurant, pop-up, and food truck’s menus are unique, here are a few nourishing staples every owner can use to design healthy versions of their cuisine. 

Fresh Cauliflower 

Who knew this simple veggie would have such an enormous impact on the food scene? While it’s still a great side dish served roasted, cauliflower is now being used as a substitute for various comfort foods. 

Chefs are ricing, mashing, and even making crusts with cauliflower, putting a nutritious spin on calorie-dense foods. While the options for getting inventive with cauliflower are almost endless, some favorites are:

• Buffalo cauliflower “wings”
• Cauliflower tots
• Cauliflower pizza crust

You can find pre-cut florets in your wholesale produce cooler, which helps cut back on prep hours. To save big on labor, you can also buy pre-made, delicious cauliflower crust to use for pizzas, flatbreads, and more!

Nut Milk and Dairy Alternatives 

Whether you own a trendy coffee shop or a boutique restaurant, having dairy-free options for your diners is a must. In addition to almond, soy, coconut and hemp milk that can be used in everything from vegan desserts to beverages to silky soups, you can also make sweet treats like dairy-free ice cream. 

We're loving all the great hemp milk dessert recipes and healthy sweet snacks that are trending. A few favorites are no-bake cherry chocolate granola, chocolate superfood brownies, and carrot cake energy bites.

Quinoa 

This ancient grain packs 8 grams of protein per serving! No wonder quinoa is so popular among people trying to embrace healthy eating. Diners love it for its nutty flavor, and chefs adore it for its versatility. 

To stand out, go beyond a simple quinoa salad and try some of these out of the box recipes:

• Chocolate chip quinoa cookies
• Quinoa risotto
• Quinoa tabbouleh
• Garlic shrimp with quinoa

Plant-Based Proteins 

Flexitarian lifestyles are becoming increasingly popular, and customers crave satisfying, meat-free versions of juicy hamburgers, hot dogs, and roasts. Whether you are looking to purchase vegan protein like Field Roast frankfurters and Beyond Burger patties, or you’re on the hunt for exceptional produce, grains, and nuts to craft your own meatless masterpiece, you’ll find all these options and more at our restaurant supply stores.

Zucchini

Known for their prolific growth and emerald-green skin, zucchini makes a great low-carb, antioxidant-rich meal. For a cool take on pasta dishes, spiralize zucchini for gluten-free “zoodles.” Toss with fresh herbs, seasonal vegetables, and top with parmesan. For a healthy take on high-fat mozzarella sticks, batter and fry zucchini spears and serve with marinara. 

Poultry 

Eating wholesome doesn’t mean giving up meat. Diners can still sink their teeth into homestyle meatloaf, indulge in casseroles, and enjoy hearty breakfasts. Using lean poultry like chicken and turkey breasts in place of pork or beef lets you craft heart-healthy versions of meaty-favorites. Turn ground turkey into moist meatloaf and sriracha-glazed meatballs. Use chicken sausage for delicious breakfast hash or shredded chicken breast for enchilada casserole. 

Discover More Bulk Foods And Ingredients for Your Restaurant’s Menu

US Foods CHEF’STORE is your go-to bulk food warehouse, providing aisles filled with nutritious, cutting-edge ingredients at unbeatable prices. As a leading bulk grocery store near you, we take pride in offering a vast selection of kitchen cooking essentials that cater to both professional chefs and home cooks alike. We understand the importance of value, which is why we partner with top bulk food suppliers to ensure you have access to the best deals. Shop online with third-party delivery, and customer perks. Visit one of our many locations today.