Produce Is More Than a Side Dish

While there is no standard for the number of ingredients in a dish, there is no reason why produce can’t be a star ingredient on any menu.

More consumers now appreciate the benefits of plant-based eating and seek dishes that are flavorful and nourishing. Global flavor trends are also influencing people’s food choices, especially with the role of social media. So, produce can be used creatively in foodservice to craft vibrant, appealing and mouthwatering dishes.

Let’s explore why produce remains a key ingredient, and how to incorporate new flavors in foodservice.

PRODUCE OFFERS FLAVOR AND VISUAL BEAUTY

Produce offers a wide range of natural flavors — sweet, earthy, tangy, bitter, sour and umami — which come from their unique bioactive compounds. These compounds, along with the produce’s texture and aroma, create a distinctive sensory experience.

For example, the sweetness you experience in produce is from the naturally occurring sugars present. The sour flavor from unripe produce is tied to the levels of malic and citric acids present, determining the produce’s pH levels. And, the pungent flavor you experience from eating chile pepper is reflective of its degree of spiciness and heat.

Produce also adds color to the dish through naturally occurring pigments, which absorb certain wavelengths of light, producing what our eyes perceive as the different colors. To name a few, anthocyanins from berries, eggplants, grapes, and cherries give off the red, purple and blue hues, while chlorophyll offers various shades of green, and carotenoids have yellow, orange and red pigments that give the colors to carrots, tomatoes and mangos.

From a visual standpoint, a produce’s color and appearance could influence the dish’s visual appeal, affecting people’s satiation and emotional responses to food. A 2023 study published in the Journal of Health Communication examined over 53,000 images from 90 food influencer accounts on Instagram and found that images with colors, such as red, orange, and yellow had more likes, as these colors are associated with brightness and colorfulness.

PLATING INFLUENCES THE DISH’S ATTRACTIVENESS

The same research found that plating food with high contrast and vibrant colors may increase appetite and satisfaction. A study published earlier this year that recruited 176 participants from Wageningen, the Netherlands, had similar findings: Salads plated in a high-stacked style, regardless of plate size, evoked more positive emotions than a plate with food spread flat, or low to no stacking.

This effect may be due to the brain connecting food stacking with fullness. Interestingly, plate size mattered for perception when viewing images online, but not when viewed in real life.

PRODUCE IS MORE AFFORDABLE

From a cost perspective, produce generally costs less than animal-based proteins. For example, in September 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed that 1 pound of 100% ground beef cost $6.32, while bananas were 67 cents, and iceberg lettuce was $1.73 per pound.

If a plant-based protein, such as soy, is also a key ingredient alongside produce to make in a salad dish, it can be a nourishing menu item because soy has complete protein and is a good source of iron. For example, shelled edamame, a form of baby soybeans, can be a complementary ingredient to a rainbow-colored salad with leafy greens, diced tomatoes and corn.

If you were to use 1 pound of edamame (currently priced at $4.16 from Walmart) and 1 pound each of the mentioned produce to make a plant-based salad ($1.73 per pound of lettuce, $1.88 per pound of field-grown tomatoes, and $1.42 per pound of corn), this recipe would give you four pounds worth of food, and cost $9.19, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

GLOBAL INFLUENCES INTRODUCE NEW FLAVORS

While produce is flavorful on its own, global influences continue to expand culinary variety. Thanks to the advances in agriculture, trade, travel and migration, new ingredients and cooking techniques are being introduced that blend and reshape global cuisines. This results in diverse, innovative and flavorful dishes.

When these dishes are shared on social media, the communication platforms enable people to share visually striking meals, which may spark or fuel food trends.

YouGov US reports that in the third quarter of 2025, potatoes, sweet corn, garlic, romaine lettuce, and broccoli are the top five vegetables among people who have a positive opinion of a vegetable.

Pairing these veggies with global flavors could create new menu items. Some examples include Gamja Bokkeum (Korean sweet soy-glazed potatoes), grilled corn with Caribbean-inspired butter, spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, Chinese-inspired stir-fried lettuce with garlic and oyster sauce and Indian-style broccoli curry.

Novella Lui, RD, MHSc is a registered dietitian and a freelance food, nutrition and health writer in Canada who combines her interest in food science, evidence-based nutrition, and health education through content creation. Connect with Novella at [email protected].