Millennium & Copthorne launches menu for diabetics

Hotel chain Millennium & Copthorne has launched a new menu aimed at meeting the needs of diabetic restaurant patrons.

Developed in collaboration with Mafraq Hospital, the dishes on the diabetes menu will first be added to the room service menu and the buffet.

The second phase will see diabetes-friendly options being developed for all of the group’s restaurants.

Michael Marshall vice president sales and marketing, Millennium & Copthorne said: “The top 10 countries that have a highest prevalence of diabetes are mostly made up of countries from the MENA region and sadly many of us have family or friends that suffer from this disease. These options are not only for those who have diabetes but for people who want to be healthy as well”.

Millennium & Copthorne joins the Dusit — which recently launched its ‘Eat Well, Feel Well’ campaign in collaboration with healthy eating expert chef Daniel Green — in its goal to provide guests with an alternative to calorie-laden F&B offerings.

But Marshall said that while healthy option menus were a positive move, offering ‘calorie counter’ menus would be the wrong way to go about promoting healthy eating in the region.

“Our hotels will promote the recommended plate portion size for a healthy meal rather than go down the route of calorie information. Having worked with Mafraq Hospital on our recipes, we are aware a healthy meal is not based on calorie count alone but many other factors such as levels of potassium, iron, fibre etc. and staying below the recommended level of calorie intake is a good start and, therefore, maybe a good idea, but I think in reality it is a cop out,” he said.

“We need to promote healthy eating rather than calorie counting,” concluded Marshall.