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/