Wonder How Many Calories You're Eating? There's an App for That!

There’s an app for that....IF you live in Canada. McDonald’s has created an iPhone app to help Canadian consumers make more informed choices in what they eat. The app is available for free download at Apple’s App Store. McDonald’s Canada claims that this is the first of its kind in the Canadian quick-service restaurant industry. “The app is part of our long-standing approach to nutrition and empowering customers to make menu choices,” said Louis Payette, national media relations manager for McDonald’s Canada, Toronto, Canada. “We’re thrilled to expand this information and ultimately it makes their lives easier to know what they’re getting,” he said.

About the App:

The McDonald’s Canada iPhone Nutrition Calculator App is available in both English and French.

Users can drag and drop their menu choices to a virtual tray where they can see detailed nutrition information for their entire meal, as well as specific items.

Additionally, consumers can remove ingredients, such as cheese, margarine and sauces depending on their preferences.

Users can access information by meal, by menu item, or by ingredient.

The type of information includes calories, protein, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C and percent daily value.
Consumers can also access nutrition fact labels and access the nutrition facts label and complete list of ingredients for menu items.

Now that we know this is possible...when is it available in USA markets? Would you want to know how many calories you are eating?

Read the entire article by clicking here:

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/content/10819.html

Hard Times Equals More Trips to the Drive Thru

According to an article in the Huffington Post "4.5 million Americans are eating less-healthy food this year than they were a year ago, according to a Gallup Poll released in June, a trend that appears to go hand in hand with diminished spending power. Americans spent slightly less money on all types of food in 2009 than they did in 2008, the latest year for which data is available, according to Census data. At the same time, average annual spending on fresh fruits and vegetables also declined."

Based on the numbers of people eating out more, its important to know the calorie content of menu items. Research shows correlations between fast food spending an obesity rates. Texas is now ranked the 12th most obese state. Additionally, Houston, TX home to over 2 million residents has one of the largest restaurants per capita. Now is the time to urge council members to make Houston healthier!!

Here is the full Huffington Post article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/17/eating-habits-the-next-ec_n_900443.html

Making Health a Priority: Principal Gets an "A" for Fighting Obesity

The Danville, IL school board said, "Make health a priority."

Principal Cheryl McIntire at Northeast Elementary Magnet School took that order and ran with it. Since 2006 the Principal has been working with schools to fight childhood obesity one step at a time. In the classroom teachers and students conduct physical activity where they strength their limbs or do modified versions of yoga. PE is scheduled for everyday of the school week. Students receive healthy snacks of nature's candy such as fresh fruit like strawberries.

Principal McIntire works closely with The Alliance, founded by the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association. The Alliance partners with about 12,000 of the nation’s 99,000 elementary and secondary schools to offer best practices on making the school environment better for students. Northeast Elementary Magnet School is one of three schools to receive the Gold Award.

Students, parents, teachers and administrators are proud of their achievements. Their practices can be easily mimicked in any elementary or secondary school setting but it begins with making health a number one priority. What are some things you think you can do to start making your students healthier?

“If we can measure that we have stopped the rise of young children who are obese and chronically overweight and that it’s going back down, and if we can see a reversal in the number of young people who developed type II diabetes,” former President Bill Clinton tells Dr. Sanjay Gupta, “then I think you will see that will have enormous ramifications through the health care system.”

In the halls of Northeast Elementary, a banner announces the school’s Gold Award status, but the real impact, say administrators, is felt well beyond the campus walls.

“One of the things on our parents' survey is how excited they were about the exposure that our children have had to fruits and vegetables that they have never tasted before,” says McIntire, “and how much they’ve encouraged their parents when they’re grocery shopping to buy those things at home.”


Click here for the entire article. It's a heart healthy read!
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/16/schools-daily-pe-fresh-fruit-set-kids-on-a-healthy-path/?hpt=hp_bn6

Let Them Eat Low Calorie Cheesecake

The summer has always been a good time for fun outdoor activities and an over indulgence in dairy products like ice cream (we know you scream for it) and cheesecake. If you're watching your calories, you're in luck!

The Cheesecake Factory has expanded their menu with new “SkinnyLicious” options, a menu for health conscious. The restaurant has become famous for their expansive menu, but now restaurant goers will have some healthier options to choose from.

The new “SkinnyLicious” menu will offer nearly 50 lower calorie items with a variety of new and signature favorites. The lower calorie options will be featured on a stand-alone menu alongside of the regular menu. So don't worry about having to do a scavenger hunt for the information.

Also, the Small Plates & Appetizers and fresh-baked Flatbreads categories feature dishes all under 490 calories, while the entrée Salads and main courses are all served with 590 calories or less. Also featured are five Skinny Cocktails each with 150 calories or less. Knowing your calorie consumption is the first step toward battling the bulge (getting into those favorite jeans of yours) and being overall heart healthy.

Check out their entire menu by using the link below. Kudos to the Cheesecake Factory for making steps toward a healthier USA. More than 46% of the average household's food budget is spent on dining out so having low calorie information available makes it easier to make better choices. Who knows...maybe they will post all their calorie information on their menus.

http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/chefscorner/

Contributed by M. Allen

Mother Knows Best

We all know that mom’s are the gatekeepers of the family. They handle almost every aspect of the household especially when it comes to making food choices. Within the last three decades America has gotten pretty diverse with an influx of immigrants from various backgrounds. Despite how diverse the country continues to get, one thing remains the same—moms know that healthy food choices are extremely important for their families.

Recent research provided by the Techomic and C3 group showed that “regardless of ethnicity, moms are the most likely members of their families to make decisions on restaurant patronage and that, despite their diverse tastes, many share similar motivations and attitudes about food”. This could mean that parents serve as advocates and stewards of healthy lifestyles that begin at home. Even when faced with a variety of food choices the family’s health comes first. This could be the force that sparked changed in the way certain restaurants provide thie r kid’s meal options.

This point stood out the most to us:

The leading priorities for moms across all demographic groups are health and value. Just under one-quarter (24 percent) of all moms view health as their primary motivation, while 22 percent say value is the primary consideration when making foodservice choices. 


How do you feel about this?

Here is the full report: Today’s Mom: Understanding the Foodservice Attitudes and Behaviors of Major Ethnic Groups includes: psychological profiles outlining the different foodservice motivations of moms; a comprehensive overview of mom usage at fast-food, fast-casual, and full-service restaurants; the impact the recession has had on the foodservice usage of mothers; and comprehensive appendices outlining the diverse foodservice behaviors of Asian and Hispanic mothers

Click here to check out the full article:
http://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/moms-decide-dining-especially-among-immigrants QSR Magazine August 8, 2011 Online Publication

Add an Apple to Your Appetite

It's summer time! Hot and humid but the perfect time to stay healthy. According to an article found in the Houston Chronicle, there is more new evidence that talks about the goodness of the apple. Apples can reduce inflammation in your body (say goodbye to the Aleve), lower bad cholesterol, keep your heart as healthy as a horse's, can help you lose weight and is low in calories. Talk about an amazing fruit!

We all heard the old adage: "an apple a day can keep the doctor away." But seriously, consuming apples daily for 6 months can reduce LDL cholesterol by over 20%. With that in mind, you should be be running to the produce aisle.

Try this small goal, it can be the start of a heart, healthy lifestyle.

Ready...

1. Eat 2-3 apples a day!

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/7675678.html#ixzz1TtSAKueR