RSVP: Recommendations for Policy Change in Bodegas and Fast Food Restaurants In NYC

 

Who: 

A study was conducted from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on comparing the nutritional quality of the foods offered at small grocery stores (bodegas) vs. fast food restaurants

What:

Food consumed away from home accounts for half of all food expenditures.  Researchers wanted to look at the food consumed outside of restaurants.  They looked at small grocery stores in urban environments as fast food restaurants because of the amount of packaged read-to-eat items, prepared food from the deli counters, salad bars, and steam table.  Researchers of this study used the Nutrition Environment Measures Study in Restaurants Protocol.  The protocol measured the nutrition environment in restaurants.  It includes indicators of healthy food availability, as well as the presence of nutrition information, promotions, and pricing that promote healthy or unhealthy food choices.  

The evaluation of the nutrition environment of bodegas and fast food restaurants showed substantial room for improvements in the support provided for healthy eating. 

• Fast food restaurants were more likely than bodegas to provide nutrition information
• Fast food restaurants had less healthy food available, promotions, and pricing.

Recommendations for policy change included:

• Bodegas: providing more healthy entrees and posting nutrition information
• Fast Food Restaurants: Expanding healthy menu option and modifying pricing and promotions strategies to encourage healthy eating.

Where:

Researchers visited high- and low- income neighborhoods in New York City and noted any difficulties that they faced. 

Low Poverty areas: 

• Provided a better nutrition environment than those in high-poverty areas.
• Had more sandwich and coffee shops 

High Poverty areas: 

• Had more hamburger and fried-chicken restaurants

How small grocery stores affect the "restaurant environment":

• There is 10 times more bodegas than national chain fast-food restaurants
• Just as "BMI-unhealthy" as fast food restaurants.
• Provides priorities for fast food-restaurants to change pricing to reduce incentives to overeat and increase availability to healthy food

 

 

          Vs.

 References: Rundle, A. (). Comparing Nutrition Environments in Bodegas and Fast-Food Restaurants. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114, 595-602.

RSVP: Quick Tips for Healthy Choices at Fast Food Restaurants

What is the issue: Fast food is cheap, filling, convenient and tastes so good.  One fast food meal can be a whole day's worth of calories, fat, sodium, and sugar.  Fast food on a daily basis leads to a wide variety of different health problems.  These fast food options are too tempting for certain people to refuse.

When  is it healthy to eat fast food: Moderation is key.  A well balanced meal can be a challenge to find at a fast food restaurant but there are always healthier choices than others.

How to make healthier options:

• Pay attention to the descriptions on the menu
• deep-fried
• pan-fried
• batter-dipped
• breaded
• creamy
• crispy
• scalloped
• au gratin
• Drink water with your meal
• Soda has a lot of hidden calorically dense calories
• Try adding lemon to water or unsweetened iced tea
• "Undress" your food
• Be aware of calorically or fat dense salad dressings, spreads, cheese, sour cream
• Ask for sauce yourself and put it on yourself. So, you know how much you are putting on.Ask for veggies/main dishes to be served without sauces.
• Pay attention to what you eat and savor bites.
• Chew food thoroughly
• Avoid eating when in a hurry
• It takes 20 minutes for the brain to realize that you are full. so eat slow.
• Order a side salad instead of fries.
• Don't supersize anything.
• Take home half a portion or divide with the person you go with.
• Instead of ordering bacon, try and order extra pickles, lettuce, tomato, mustard
• Try to avoid buffets, but if you do go to them, try to eat more fruits and veggies.

Where are these fast food restaurants:

• The big juicy burger joints
• McDonalds
• Wendys
• Fried chicken restaurants
• Chick fil a
• KFC
• Taco chains
• Taco Bell
• Sub, deli, and sandwich chains
• Subway
• Penn Station
• Asian restaurants
• Chinese Buffets
• Italian and pizza chains
• Pizza Hut
• Etc.

RSVP: Health Experts Offer Advice to Restaurants

People are growing more weary about healthy options, allergen information, and high quality foods at their local restaurants.  Nation's Restaurant News is a website that has been serving the $600 billion food service industry since 1967.  This website offers the NRN editorial team that covers everything from big chain financial establishments to small local restaurants.  They interview CEOS, chefs, supply chain experts, and financial analysts for the most up to date information and trends these restaurants are doing. 

The Nation's Restaurant News editorial team recently interviewed three well known health experts for their advice for healthier options in the restaurant business.

 Who:

          Elizabeth Pivonka PhD, RD, the president of Produce for Better Health Foundation  

          James Hill, PhD, executive director of the Anschutz Wellness Center, University of Colorado

          David L. Katz MD, MPH, director of Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center

What did they have to say?:

•           Elizabeth believes that restaurants are doing a great job at offering more vegetables and fruits on their menus.  She explained that not only will this still allow for the bigger portion sizes but this won't allow for the excess calories.
•           She believes that decreasing the use of cheese, fried foods, and fatty meats will naturally decrease calories, sodium, and fat.  In return, restaurants will benefit from using less of the expensive meat proteins and more of the inexpensive veggies.
•           She advises making fruit the focus for dessert.  She says chocolate and ice cream are still ok but to change the portion sizes.  To use more fruit and less chocolate.
• 
  
•           James believes that restaurants understand that they have a major role in the nation's obesity problem.  He says that restaurants know that consumers are looking for healthier options and are willing to provide those. 
•           He explains how restaurants biggest obstacle is making good tasting healthy food.  Chefs are wanting to make small changes to their foods that aren't even noticeable to the customer to improve the nutritional quality. 
•         James thinks that media needs to have a bigger role with helping restaurants advertise their healthy offerings to help people make changes to eat smarter
• 
  
•          David claims that more and more restaurant are participating in the Healthy Dining Program and highlighting their healthy menu options that they have. 
•          He believes strongly in lifestyle practices and using tools like the app Healthy Diner Finder can help people live a healthier lifestyle. 
•          David says that taste buds tend to favor the familiar.  His research shows that making small healthful changes at restaurants over time can make very big improvements with taste buds and preferences over time. 

Where is this happening? :

This website offers the NRN editorial team that covers everything from big chain financial establishments to small local restaurants. 

When is this happening?

The food industry is always changing.  Healthier options have been highlighted at several restaurants over the past decade. 

References:

            http://nrn.com/

RSVP: The History of Portion Distortion

The PROBLEM is that the more that's on your plate the more you will eat.  Over the past few decades, portion sizes from cheeseburgers to muffins have grown substantially.  Unfortunately, American's waist bands have too....  Everyone wants more bang for their buck.  This holds true for eating out as well, especially with the last decade. 

Who:  Restaurants are seeming to be the biggest to blame for this incident due to:

• Increased portion sizes:
•  give us more calories
• encourage us to eat more
• distort perceptions of appropriate food quantities

Along, with our lazy sedentary lifestyles this does not help with obesity control.

What: Ways to watch portion control include:

• Measure how much the bowls, glasses, cups, and plates you usually use hold
• Measure a fixed amount of some foods and drinks to see what they look like in your glasses 
• If there is still food on your plate or on the table, put it away (or throw it out).

Other helpful tips will be included on this website:
              http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/weight-   management/better-              choices/decrease-portions.html

Where: This is happening at almost every restaurant.  But, the good news is is that a lot of restuarants are starting to label their foods with the nutrition facts.  This allows you to see how many calories you will specifically be consuming. 

When: Data from 2 national surveys of over 60,000 Americans, found that serving sizes have grown drastically over the past 20 years.  Between 1977-1996, food portion sizes increased both inside and outside the house. 

•  Hamburger sizes increased by 23%. 
•  Mexican food increased by 27%. 
•  Soft drinks increased by 52%. 
•  Snacks, such as potato chips, pretzels, and crackers increased by 60%. 

Not surprising, the prevalence of adult obesity in the United States has increased from 14.5 in 1971 to 30.9 percent in 1996.

Additional obesity statistics:

                          http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
     1971                                      1996

 

RSVP: St. Patrick's Day and the Effects of Food Dye

In light of today being St. Paddy's day and all of the different green foods and drinks being circulated,  I have decided to write this blog entry about added food dyes at restaurants.  Added food coloring is chemical compounds made from coal-tar derivatives to enhance color.

 

Who consumes food dye?

 

• Everyone.  If you have been eaten green eggs while out to eat on St. Patrick's day or have just eaten a bag of Cheetos you have consumed some sort of added food dye.  Children are the number one target for restaurant's when it comes to consuming food dye.  Food industries want their food to look colorful and appetizing for the child so they want to come back.  This especially holds true if you have eaten out at a fast food restaurant at any point in your life.  Although, restaurants don't have quite as much food dye in their foods as compared to the kinds of foods found at the grocery stores and super markets.  

 

What can happen if too much food dye is consumed?

 

• Artificial food dyes and additives are often not meant to be absorbed by the body so it weighs heavily on the bowel which causes it to suck water into the bowels, resulting in diarrhea.
• Food dye is also related to allergic reactions, asthma, skin rashes, hyperactivity, and headaches. 

Where can food dye be found?

 

• Restaurants  have dyed anything from beer to  ketchup green on St. Patrick's day.  But, several food dyes can be found in kids' menu items, such as: lemonade, sugar-free lemonade, caramel dip, chips, pickles, rice, sauces, condiments, cookies, frozen yogurt, ice cream, "fruit" punch, and juice. Also, it is warned to be cautious of water taps that do double duty with highly dyed soda.   
• These specific food items tend to have a high amount of food dyes:
• cereals
• chips and salty snacks
• cookies and baked goods
• candies and confections
• dairy products
• energy drinks and soda
• fruit punch and juices

When was food dye approved and banned?

 

• A good amount of the artificial dyes used today were approved by the F.D.A.  FDA in the 1930s were made of coal tar.  They are now made with petroleum. In 1950, many children became ill after eating Halloween candy, which contained Orange Dye #1. In 1976 the F.D.A. finally banned Red Dye #2 because it was "suspected" to be carcinogenic. 

• The following artificial dyes have been banned in the U.S. because they have been found to be either carcinogenic or nerve toxins:
• Red No2
• Red No4
• Red No32
• Orange No1
• Orange No2
• Yellow No 1, 2, 3, 4
• Violet No1

How to avoid food dye?

Artificial Food Dye	The Potential Dangers*	The Natural Alternatives**3-11
Red No. 40	Possible Carcinogen  Potential Hyperactivity (kids)  Potential Behavioral Problems (kids)	Annatto Beet Juice  Pomegranate Juice  Saffron Paprika   Cochineal
Red No. 3	Possible Carcinogen  Reported Thyroid Problems	Annatto Beet Juice  Pomegranate Juice  Saffron Paprika Cochineal
Yellow No. 5	Reported Allergies  Reported Thyroid Problems  Potential Asthma (kids)  Potential Hyperactivity (kids)	Turmeric Dried Mustard Seed Powder
Yellow No. 6	Possible Carcinogen  Reported Allergies  Reported Thyroid Problems  Potential Asthma (kids)	Turmeric Dried Mustard Seed Powder
Green No. 3	Possible Carcinogen	Chlorella
Blue No. 1	Potential Asthma (kids)	Butterfly pea Elderberry Juice
Blue No. 2	Potential Asthma (kids)	Butterfly pea  Elderberry Juice
Yellow No.11	Reports of Dermatitis	Turmeric Dried Mustard Seed Powder
Orange B	Reported Allergies  Potential Asthma (kids)	Annatto   Saffron + Turmeric
Citrus Red 2  (red-orange)	Cancer in Animals	Saffron + Turmeric  Saffron Paprika

References: http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Focus-Areas/Product-Development-and-Ingredient-Innovations/Food-Additives.aspx
http://www.justaddgoodstuff.com/safe-food-coloring-alternatives/

 

RSVP: Changes in the Energy and Sodium Content of Main Entrees

Who brought this to our attention?

• A study done from 2010-2011, from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, showed changes in the energy and sodium content of main entrees in US chain restaurants. 

What did it do?

• Researchers from this study, looked at changes in energy and sodium content of US restaurants after the federal menu labeling requirement was passed. 

         Their results included:

• Sodium was lowered by 70 mg across all restaurants
• Fast-food restaurants decreased mean energy in children's main entrees by 40 calories
• Regular menu items at fast-food restaurants decreased by 57 calories
• Family-style restaurants decreased energy and sodium at the 75th percentile
• 10% of restaurants overall had a decrease in calories

Where did this change happen?

• A large and diverse group of US chain restaurants:
• Family-style restaurants
• Fast food restaurants
• Up scale dining restaurants

When did this change happen?

• The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for nutrition labeling was passed on March 23, 2010.  This study looked at the year after this act was passed, from Spring 2010 to Spring 2011. 

How did this change happen?

• Policy change on menu labeling as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was passed in Spring of 2010.  This policy required restaurants to show nutrient content (item for sale, number of kcals contained) labeled adjacent to restaurant's menu item.  As new labeling laws and public health pressures are evolving, restaurants are starting to introduce new food options that lead to changes of energy and sodium intake.

 

 

 

New York Ban on Sugar Sweetened Beverages

Obesity is a huge problem and a lot of blame is on the larger and larger portion sizes we are seeing in restaurants each year.  The mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, has seen this issue and knows how big of a concern it is to New Yorkers and the rising health care costs.  People consume these larger beverages and food items without any consideration of the extra calories they are consuming.  If people consumer smaller portions, they will consume less calories and in the long run be happier and healthier. In 2012, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, put a ban on sugar sweetened beverages of 16 ounces or more.  The restriction was for both fountain and bottled drinks, including: soda, sweetened coffee drinks/teas, juice drinks, and sports drinks such as Gatorade. The ban affected restaurants, movie theaters, sports venues, coffee shops, pizza shops, delis, food trucks and street carts throughout New York City.  Items that are not included under this restrictions include pure fruit juice-based drinks, diet drinks, alcoholic beverages, customer-made drinks like coffee, and drinks mixed with half-milk.  Customers at restaurants are still allowed to get as many refills as they want but this is their decision.  Although, on March 11,2013 the Supreme Court struck down this ban,  I believe this is a huge and great start to controlling the obesity crisis in America. 

References: 

Mike bloomberg: Combating obesity. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mikebloomberg.com/index.cfm?objectid=B7EE3B90-C29C-7CA2-FE35C0860A2075BD 

New yorkers for beverage choices. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nycbeveragechoices.com/