CHICAGO - More healthful dishes are finding their way onto restaurant menus, according to a new study by Mintel, Nation??s Restaurant News reports. The number "healthy" labeled items in restaurants jumped 65 percent from the second quarter of 2009 to the second quarter of this year.

The research discovered the amount of dishes that highlighted vegetables or fruit advanced 10 percent between the second quarter of 2007 and the second quarter of 2010. Vegetarian items rose 12 percent during this same time period (2007-2009).

A different Mintel poll found that adult respondents ate more healthily when eating out, picking more vegetables and fruit when deciding on what to choose.

"Healthy menu development opportunity exists in providing vegetable and seafood appetizers, soups, salads and entrées," said Eric Giandelone, director of food research at Mintel. "An added bonus in offering these ingredients is if [they are] prepared thoughtfully, they will naturally cut down on the fat and calories of a menu item, making it a more favorable choice for their patrons."

Giandelone recommended that restaurateurs also develop more healthy children??s menus to help counter childhood obesity. "Restaurants should start considering how they??re going to make kids?? menus healthier," he said. "It??s important to get feedback from both parents and kids to provide a healthy balance on the menu that kids will want to eat and parents will approve of."

Meanwhile, Burger King just revealed a new kids?? meal for breakfast that has an egg-and-cheese muffin sandwich, apple juice and apple fries, Brandweek reports.