5 Reasons To Serve Seafood in October [INFOGRAPHIC]

National Seafood Month provides restaurants with special license to highlight seafood every October. For those who need additional reasons to showcase fish and shellfish other than just a government-designated “holiday,” here are a few more:

1. Americans LOVE seafood. Each year consumers eat on average 16 pounds of seafood per person per year. That’s up from 14.5 pounds in 2014. Restaurants that highlight seafood on their menu have a better chance of capturing some of consumers’ per capita consumption. Source: U.S Department of Agriculture data cited the Power of Seafood, a new report from FMI.
2. Consumers not only like seafood, they also like to eat it often (translation: increased visit frequency). Twelve percent of consumers eat seafood twice a week or more, and another 35% eat it about once per month. Source: Power of Seafood, a new report from FMI.
3. Seafood hits the healthy lifestyle notes that a growing number of consumers crave. Studies show that Omega-3s, including the DHA variety that is found in seafood, are beneficial to overall good health — and they have been a big trend among health-conscious consumers. Source: Nutritional Outlook, February 2019.
4. Baby boomers and other groups are interested in seafood, but millennials, in particular, are looking for more seafood on menus. Source: Foodable Labs data.
5. Seafood offers endless menu options. There are nearly 2,000 varieties of fish and shellfish commercially available in the U.S. from which to choose, and most can be served as center-of-the-plate entrées, appetizers or as an ingredient in everything from soups, salads, pasta and rice. They also work well across nearly every cuisine. Source: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Looking for more inspiration?

See our blog to learn more about these growing trends! Or download our Vegging-Out White Paper, to learn what consumers expect from meatless meals plus fresh ideas for adding vegetable-centric items to your menu.