Abstract:
Abstract:-Background: Previous research findings show that consumer need for healthy eating products was in response to rapid lifestyle changes, increased access to knowledge about health and nutrition as well as cultural and social meanings attached to food. However, there is a dearth of research on factors that influence customer needs for healthy eating products in restaurants in cities. Objectives: This study sought to establish the factors that prompt restaurant goers to adopt varied healthy eating perspectives. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 296 restaurant heads of department (kitchen, service, public relations and stores/procurement) and 401 customers from 74 healthy eating product restaurants of Nairobi city. Five heads of department (kitchen, service, public relations and stores/procurement) and five customers were sampled from each of the 74 selected healthy eating product restaurants. Data was collected using questionnaires. The collected data was analysed using frequencies, percentages, person correlation, chi-square and regression statistics whereby P<0.05. Results: The study established that a wide range of factors influence customer needs for healthy eating products. These were the need to lead a healthy lifestyle (78.7%); family culture (10.5%); medical prescriptions (5.5%); media, school or books (5%); while peer, social influence scored 0.3%. Factors that were significant in influencing healthy eating product customers needs were the need to lead a healthy lifestyle (p=0.000), family culture (p value = 0.000 and 0.001) and medical prescriptions (p= 0.001). The study also yielded a chi-square value of 0.00 and an r significance of 0.000 between factors that influence customer needs for healthy eating products and customer needs for these products. Key words: customer needs, healthy eating, healthy eating products, restaurants, Nairobi.
