Moooove over, gluten
Dairy-free foods are hitting the menus, too.
The milk in the Starbucks’ hot chocolate drink that it unveiled Tuesday comes from a nut and not from a cow — and that’s going to be good news for its customers trying to avoid dairy.
At California Pizza Kitchen, the latest pizza isn’t about the topping but rather the crust, which is made from cauliflower and not wheat flour.
Both are examples of how national restaurants are increasingly catering to customers with special diets.
Industry giants from Domino’s to Dunkin’ Donuts have begun backing away from their standardized approaches to reach out to customers who have embraced new eating restrictions while attracting new diners who want fast, cheap food that meets their unique needs.
At Starbucks, its newest alternative-milk beverage, the Toffee Almondmilk Hot Chocolate, is made with steamed almond milk, mocha sauce, toffee nut syrup, whipped cream and caramel brulée topping.
On Monday, California Pizza Kitchen introduced its gluten-free cauliflower crust for those who no longer eat wheat-flour products.
The gluten-free industry grew to
$13.7 billion in 2016, and in restaurants, the number of gluten-free menu items jumped 18% between 2015 and
2017, according to global market research firm Mintel.
For the food and restaurant industries, the market for people with special diets has become too big to ignore.
A survey by Mintel found that lactose was the American consumers’ third-most avoided ingredient after high-fructose corn syrup and genetically-modified organisms. Gluten and wheat were No. 7.
“Because of customers’ interest in alternative milks, we have introduced ... beverages that include coconut milk or almond milk as a standard milk in the recipe. We have found that these drinks appeal to both new and existing customers,” Starbucks said in a statement.
Before the Seattle-based coffee shop chain had non-dairy and non-soy drink options, adding that kind of non-traditional beverage was the second-most requested customer idea in Starbucks history. Though soy milk was an option starting in 1997, coconut milk joined the lineup in 2015 and almond milk in September 2016.
Dunkin’ Donuts and Panera began offering almond milk at their restaurants in 2016.
At the same time, more gluten-free items are showing up. Papa John’s has gluten-free crusts. Subway and Shake Shack have gluten-free breads. Noodles & Co. has gluten-free pasta.