Final answer:
The correct option is 1). Restaurants offering small-portion meals or low-calorie menus are responding to changing health trends, with a societal shift towards healthier, more active lifestyles and away from fad diets.
Step-by-step explanation:
Restaurants that provide small-portion meals or low-calorie menus are responding to the changes in health trends. The food industry has seen an increase in portion sizes and higher use of fats, oils, and sugars (SOFAS), leading to meals with more calories. As lifestyles have become more sedentary, the inability to expend enough calories during normal daily activities has contributed to a rise in obesity and related health issues. Today, there is a shift towards dietary trends that promote healthy, whole foods and a more active lifestyle, moving away from fad diets to more evidence-based, holistic measures.
Moreover, cultural and seasonal factors play a role in food choice, and restaurants adapt their menus accordingly. These responses also emerge from economic pressures, such as shifts in food prices due to seasonality or changes in consumer demand. Therefore, these establishments are keen to accommodate consumer demand for healthier options and respond to economic factors that affect the food industry.
Restaurants were hit hard during the pandemic, but those that adapted to changes, such as offering healthier options, were more likely to endure the downturn in revenue.