ST. HELENA, Calif. – More food companies are hiring chefs to develop healthy fare, part of the manufacturer and restaurant response to pressure from regulators, lawmakers and consumers, The New York Times reports. 

“The challenge facing us and other big food companies today is not easy: to have a great-tasting product without as much salt, fat and sugar,” said Greg Yep, senior vice president for long-term research and development at PepsiCo. “Chefs have ways of tricking the taste buds that we can use in our products.” 

In recent years, food makers have worked hard to respond to requests for lower sodium in foods, less sugar and fewer artificial ingredients. For example, Kellogg slashed sugar by 30% in its kids’ cereals, while eliminating salt and upping fiber in other breakfast cereals. Taco Bell unveiled a Power Protein line that will have menu items containing fewer calories and fat.

“We’re not only thinking about making great-tasting foods but about the nutrition guidelines we need to deliver on,” said Greg Creed, chief executive of Taco Bell. The restaurant, which recently announced its intention to nix the children’s menu, pledged to have at least a third of all items adhere to federal nutrition guidelines by the end of this decade. “This is a huge change in mind-set.”

For example, chefs are helping food makers and restaurant chains figure out how to cut the salt without losing taste. Stephen Kalil, PepsiCo executive research chef, helped to lower sodium in flavored Lay’s potato chips by around a fourth by focusing on flavors and then other seasonings. Kalil’s team explored regional cuisines to bolster the flavor of Lay’s regional flavored chips — think Northeast’s honey mustard and Northwest’s balsamic sweet onion. Sales exploded with the results.