With over a decade of serving restaurants and over 60,000 locations under the MenuCalc belt, it’s evident that nutrition facts have shifted. New scientific research has revealed more accurate information regarding nutritional facts, and customers are demanding honesty. Many establishments have felt intimidated by the daunting task of modernizing their nutrition facts. In actuality, this process is much easier than business owners anticipate. If you’re ready for a menu upgrade, here’s how to modernize nutrition facts in 5 simple steps.

Nutrition Facts: What Has Changed?

New FDA regulations suggest that restaurants display calorie information, nutritional facts, and allergen information on their menus. While consumers demand this from most restaurants, this especially applies to franchises with 20+ locations. As restaurant owners, there are tons of moving parts in your business that all require your attention. The process of modernizing menus is usually the last thing on your list of endless to-dos.

Upgrading the nutrition facts section on your menus requires expert consultation. This is where MenuCalc plays a key role.

Update Your Nutrition Facts Label

The expert team of FDA-compliant nutritionists at MenuCalc knows just what it takes to modernize your nutrition facts label. Using the advanced SmartMenu database, you can create a modern nutrition label for your menu in minutes. When you follow these 5 simple steps, you’ll have an upgraded, FDA-compliant, and accurate menu depiction for your restaurant:

1. Click the “Create a Recipe” Link

When building your modernized menu, you’ll first open the SmartMenu database and simply click “create a recipe.” Here, you can create options for seasonal menus or even location-specific specials. You’ll also receive the option to create sub-recipes (i.e. sauce, dough, marinades, dressings, etc). 

2. Input Your Recipe’s Ingredients

Here, you’ll find three options when inputting your recipe’s ingredients: General Ingredients, Branded Food Products, and My Ingredients.

1. General Ingredients are spices, flour, produce, meat, dairy, grain, or fish. They include the foundational elements of your recipe.
2. Branded Food Products include over 300,000 individual branded items. 
3. My Ingredients include the ingredients used in sub-recipes or are customized ingredients that have been added by you and your users.

3. Create an Allergen Statement

To create an allergen statement, go to the ingredients list in your recipe. Under the column “Allergens,” you’ll see a series of Yes/No statements. This helps you identify if allergens are present in your recipe. Scroll over each ingredient to see which allergens are present. SmartMenu automatically creates an ingredient statement. This way, your customers will make a smart selection from your menu.

4. Organize Your Recipes

SmartMenu organizes your recipes in its comprehensive and user-friendly menu library. You can search for your recipes throughout the entire recipe library, and each is broken down into specific categories.

5. Distribute Your Menus

In just 5 easy steps, you have a modernized menu! Once each recipe is generated with SmartMenu software, you can begin distributing menus. This also includes nutrition facts labels for your recipes. Each label includes a complete list of nutrition facts, so this information can always be available upon your customer’s request.

Through this comprehensive process, SmartMenu technology automatically analyzes your recipes. This way, you can instantly produce a nutritionally-accurate menu for your customers. Customers will understand the calorie count, nutritional facts, and allergens contained in each recipe. SmartMenu also comes equipped with built-in FDA standards, so your menu will always be up to code. Modernizing nutrition facts is easier than it looks, especially with the help of an expert nutritional consultant.

Choose Accurate Nutritional Facts

Choose to display accurate nutritional facts at your major restaurant or franchise. The team at MenuCalc is ready to assist you in creating a modernized menu. For more information about breakthrough SmartMenu technology, please feel free to contact a team member today.