1. The Rise of the Better Burger:
Healthier Proteins Go Mainstream
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2. Consumers are eating more burgers than ever
before.
According to new research from Technomic’s
Burger Consumer Trends Report, 95% of
consumers eat at least one burger a month.
As the burger category evolves, consumer
demands are also changing.
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3. Where’s the beef? No really. Where is it?
Healthy proteins like veggie, turkey and bison are
gaining ground on their traditional hamburger
counterparts at Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs).
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4. Above all, quality and customization are critical.
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51% of consumers say it’s important that their burgers are from neverfrozen beef (an increase of 8 percent in two years).
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Also, they want to know what type of beef was actually used (55%, up
from 48%).
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These burger connoisseurs are going to fast casual restaurants, not
just the nearby fast-food joint, once a month for burgers (51%), and
almost two-thirds approve of the build-your-own-burger concept.
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Younger consumers, specifically, and other diners are interested in
gluten-free (23%), vegan (23%) and vegetarian (22%) alternatives.
Source: Technomic, Burger Consumer Trend Report, 2013
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5. BEEF
Okay, beef is still the king of burgers. In fact, it was offered on 28.8% of QSR menus in 2012, an increase
of 20.5% since 2010, reported Packaged Facts. However, consumers also have the option to try grassfed beef containing omega-3 fatty acids, which may have heart-healthy benefits.
Source: Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
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6. VEGGIE
Veggie burgers are the second most popular burger at QSRs, reaching 22.4% of the market. Consumers
who crave a juicy burger – hold the meat – can order a plant-based patty completely free from animal
proteins. Indeed, according to Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report,
these meatless burgers have now reached mainstream status at restaurants and grocery stores.
Source: Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report, 2012
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7. TYPES OF VEGGIE BURGERS
Recently, QSRs have taken the standard veggie burger on the grocery shelf—typically made with soy
beans—to a new level. Popular veggie burgers are now made with chickpeas, black beans, white
beans, potatoes, lentils, or pretty much any other vegetable, and interesting options today are glutenfree; made with nuts, veggies and quinoa; encrusted in hazelnuts; or made with portobello mushroom
caps, amongst other combinations.
Source: Daily Bites, ―Super Healthy Veggie Burgers,‖ www.dailybitesblog.com
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8. TURKEY
Health trends are definitely affecting restaurant menus. Take turkey burgers, for example. They can now
be found on 30.9% more menus than in 2010. Burgerville, Café Express, Hardee’s, MOOYAH and
STACKED are among the early adopters of this healthy protein.
Source: Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
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9. STEAK
Steak burgers aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they are now on 9.6% of menus, an increase of 18.5% from
2010. Steak is still a high-quality form of beef that can elevate the final product and promote a premium
image.
Source: Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report, 2012;
Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
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10. ANGUS
This spring, McDonald’s dropped its pricey Angus Burger, possibly signifying a shift in fast food away
from premium burgers, which have to compete against dollar-menu alternatives and fast casual
competitors like Five Guys and Smashburger. These new competitors also offer quality foods without
table service. Angus burgers are currently offered on 9.2% of menus, an increase of 17.9%.
Source: Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
©2013 Cargill, Inc.
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11. BUFFALO
Containing both linoleic and linolenic fatty acids (also known as omega-3 and omega-6), Bison is
recommended as a lean meat option by the American Heart Association as one way to obtain a healthier
lifestyle and improve cardiac health. Buffalo meat is also packed with essential vitamins and minerals
such as iron and protein. Healthy or better-burger restaurants like Twisted Root Burger Co.
and Energy Kitchen are among those offering buffalo burgers. So far, they are on 3.3% of menus.
Source: Kansas Buffalo Associattion, ―Nutritional Information,‖ 2013; Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.:
Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
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12. SIRLOIN
Lean and clean sirloin was the only type of burger protein to decrease in popularity from 2010, by 5.9 %. In a
Technomic study just four years ago, 71% of consumers rated burgers made with a high quality of meat,
such as sirloin, as premium. It remains to be seen if this downward trend is a fluke or an indication that
consumers are favoring other lean, high-protein burgers.
Source: Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report, 2012;
Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
©2013 Cargill, Inc.
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13. KOBE
In 2012, Kobe beef was allowed back into the United States (after the USDA had initially banned it during a
foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Japanese cattle), and sales went up accordingly at QSRs to 0.2% of
restaurants. Tender, flavorful Kobe beef doesn’t come cheap, however, at either high-end or casual dining
restaurants. Red Robin is currently tinkering with a $15 Kobe and bison burger, and The Cheesecake
Factory offers an American Kobe beef burger for $13.95.
Source: Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report, 2012;
Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service Restaurants, August 2013
©2013 Cargill, Inc.
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14. Sources
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Packaged Facts’ Foodservice Landscape in the U.S.: Chain Limited-Service
Restaurants, August 2013
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Technomic’s Burger Consumer Trend Report Update, 2013
•
Packaged Facts’ The New Healthful: Culinary Trend Mapping Report,
September 2012
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