6 Ways Restaurants Could Market Good Health

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Nice article

arhiderrr of DE 8:26AM February 28, 2009

Our work for the last thirty-five years has been the promotion of healthy diet. We find your definition of "good health" to be extraordinarily poor. Your recommendations are useful, but do not say anything about what is included in the meal which is what good diet is all about, that is the article says nothing about variety - most chains use a very small number of ingredients in different combinations which does not lead to a healthy diet. Moreover, all of the ingredients used by the chains are unprocessed which means nutrients are diminished and additives included. Lastly, citing the industry website merely keeps the public tied to the source of the problems. There are many other websites that will lead the public to healthy choices as will out national guide," Healthy Highways". This is a matter of life and death - both personal and worldwide - when you consider global warming and the sharing of resources. We don't expect puff pieces like this from US News.

Katherine Hobson: A blog post could never be a comprehensive look at what to eat, so here I opted to offer somewhat lighthearted chance to get nutritionists to brainstorm some other suggestions for restaurants given the new rules in NYC. I gave the restaurant industry a chance to offer its own suggestions, as would befit a journalistically balanced piece. For more comprehensive coverage on nutrition and food beyond what a blog can offer, you can start with this story, which is in the magazine this week:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/living-well-usn/2008/04/07/diets-that-promote-health-and-always-have.html

David & Nikki Goldbeck of NY 3:42PM May 19, 2008

I don't see how providing customers with calories is becomeing a "food Nazi". One need only look around to see that we Americans have a problem with ingesting too many calories. I think that we have a right to have this information; after all, it's our bodies that this "food" is going into. My family currently avoids fast food places because we know that most of it is bad with high saturated fats and calories. If we had this information available, and some healthier choices, we might acutally eat at a fast food restuarant once in awhile.

LeslieD of CA 4:28PM May 12, 2008

John, You must be an active young man to have a daily calorie count of 2500 calories. For a not-terribly active woman older than 60, the recommended daily calorie allowance (to avoid gaining weight) is about 1600 calories. For me, that translates to about 350 for breakfast, 500 lunch, 500 dinner, and 250 for extras and snacks. 500 calories for a breakfast drink is a bit much for me.
Bob, if you want to eat crappy food, far be it for me to try to stop you. Go right ahead. But please don't obstruct efforts that make it possible for people like me, who do want to try to keep a healthy weight, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure level, to be able to eat in restaurants without risking our health. I am not a "food Nazi" - I just want stay active and healthy and live to a ripe old age.

lesliet of MA 4:51PM May 09, 2008

So, Putting the calorie counts was just the beginning! Now, you want to dictate the the menu. What's next? outlaw 'big' portions. Or how about having a scale at the door, and if your height/weight calculation isn't 'good enough', you aren't allowed to eat. I wish people like you would stop trying to force your agenda and diet down people's throats.

Katherine Hobson: These options (proposed by nutritionists and researchers, not me) are in the direction of more, not fewer, options (additional smaller portion sizes for less money, more appealing low-cal options in addition to the regular stuff, more low- or no-cal beverages). The only exception is the kids' meal suggestion, and I don't know any pediatrician who wouldn't agree that encouraging kids to swap out soda and fries for something more nutritious, or at least making it the default option, is a good idea. No one's talking about a weigh-in at the door; people are talking about letting those who eat at chain restaurants (pretty much everyone) have more choices in what they eat and buy there. I can't think why that's a bad thing.

Bob of CA 2:10PM May 09, 2008

500 calories for breakfast is not in itself a bad thing, if they're nutritious and healthy calories, and you don't eat more than 2500 a day (or so), and you get some exercise. On the other hand, their old menu had a 1000 calorie item that probably couldn't be justified except for a triathlete.

John Stephens of CA 8:21PM May 08, 2008