In an effort to meet consumer expectations and comply with new state regulations, most restaurants and fast food joints have begun listing calorie counts on their menus. This information is used by consumers to make educated and well thought-out decisions about their meals. It’s supposed to help fight obesity by allowing the health-conscious population to enjoy eating out without entirely giving up on their nutritional goals.
A study was recently published in the Journal of American Medical Association that exposes the truth about restaurant menus. According to CBS News, nearly one in every five restaurant menus contains inaccurate calorie counts. In most instances, the laboratory results revealed a measly 10 calorie difference. However, some menu items (close to 20 percent) contained more than 100 calories over what the menu claimed, with one dish setting the record for inaccuracy at being 1,000 calories off.
Read Full Post >
If ignorance is bliss, many restaurants are scrambling to adjust their menus before the law states that their patrons can be ignorant no more.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to require any chain restaurant with over 20 locations to post calorie counts on their menus by the end of 2011. Even though this rule is pending, it is already leading to some very positive changes in the food industry.
While many restaurant goers probably knew the loaded nacho platter, cheesy pasta, or battered chicken dish they ordered was high in calories before, it’s possible that seeing just how high the totals get will influence their decision in the future. If consumers see that the one meal they’re ordering contains more than half of their day’s calorie requirements, restaurant owners are assuming their sales will decrease.
Currently, many chains are quickly attempting to rework their menus. Many favorite items are being lightened up so that they contain fewer calories. Some establishments are attempting to balance the menus more by offering more healthy items along with high calorie fan favorites.
Read Full Post >
It’s the hottest (often literally!) holiday of the entire summer, and one most of us look forward to all year long. July 4th celebrates the birthday of the United States of America, and the most common form of celebration is the community picnic with fireworks. It’s great to spend time with your friends and family, and everyone enjoys a day off, but don’t let the holiday celebration plop your bottom into a lawn chair for the day.
Instead, why not take part in some of these fantastic activities that the entire family, from kids to grandparents, can join in on? As a bonus, we’ve included the calorie counts of some popular picnic foods so you can see if that Firecracker popsicle is really worth it! (hint: it’s a good choice!)
Read Full Post >
Christina is a mom, registered nurse, and blogger. She fully admits to both a love of too much food and a love of the couch, two vices she struggles to overcome on a daily basis. In the past two years, she’s lost nearly 50 pounds through diet and exercise, some of it chronicled on her blog, Losing My Hind.
Most people who are actively trying to lose weight hit a plateau now and then. You’re working hard, losing weight as a result, and then suddenly all of that progress stops and you wonder if your scale is broken because it’s been displaying the same number for weeks.
Plateaus are often the body’s way of recalibrating and adjusting to the changes you’ve brought about. But if you’re like me, you can only handle a plateau for so long before you get a twitchy eye and the urge to throw your scale through the bathroom window. I was recently stuck at a plateau for over a month, which felt like years to me, and anyone who had to listen to me rant about it.
Read Full Post >
After the disappointment in the last episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, it was a wonderful surprise to see that the administrator of West Adams High had hopefully found a loophole, so that Jamie and his kids could indeed cook for the entire school, at least as an assembly. The administrator said that the school was based on experiential teaching and preparing kids for college, so healthy eating fit right into their principles. In the mean time, Jamie continued his role of instructor, trying out different subjects beyond culinary arts.
In math class, Jamie taught about calories and consequences by allowing students to choose a snack between soda, chocolate bars, pizza, or oranges. He then allowed them to experience weight gain using weight backpacks. Jamie then took his math students out to the track having the students walk around the track enough times to burn the calories of what they had just eaten.
Read Full Post >
