You might think that you're picking your dinner order based on whatever food you're craving in the moment—but the menu is probably deciding for you. A menu's design and the descriptions used to explain dishes heavily influence what you ultimately order, according to a new Cornell University review published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management.
After reviewing previous studies on the subject, researchers explained several ways in which restaurants use menus to influence diners' orders. For example, writing out a certain dish in bold or in a different color or font makes customers more likely to notice (and therefore order) it. The placement of an item on a menu also matters (things located on the lower left-hand side are almost never ordered), and restaurant owners also make foods sound more appetizing by using sensory names (i.e., velvety chocolate mouse), geographic names (i.e., Tex Mex), or nostalgic names (i.e., Grandma's apple pie). Other factors also come into play, like how good a deal you think the item is.
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The problem? Right now, restaurant owners use these strategies to encourage you to order the most profitable dishes—regardless of how healthy they are. Chances are, the dishes you're being influenced to choose are hurting your waistline since previous research shows that, on average, restaurant meals contain more than twice the number of calories they should. In fact, researchers wrote this review as a guideline for restaurant owners in hopes that they'll start using these strategies to highlight healthy (but still profitable) options for diners.
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It's unclear whether restaurants will actually start to follow these suggestions, but you can still take action to eat healthier when you're eating out. Remember to look at the entire menu—not just what you notice first—before making your decision. And for more guidance on how to make healthy choices, check out these tips on making smarter decisions when dining out.
MORE: How Restaurants Keep You Addicted to Their Food
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