Have it your way - healthful, even

Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese

McDonald's employs a director of nutrition? Who knew? Dr. Cindy Goody has been with McDonald’s since 2008. She was recently interviewed for Nation's Restaurant News, and had some interesting things to say:

Nutrition is the science of how our bodies use food to contribute to health, and as a registered dietitian, I have an opportunity to translate that science so consumers can use it to improve their health and well-being. As McDonald’s director of nutrition I have the opportunity to share this knowledge with the more than 26 million customers that visit our 14,000 U.S. restaurants every day.

Her philosophy is that there are no good or bad foods, but anyone can consume a bad balance of foods. Since McDonald's offered varied menu choices, she says people can build a nutritious meal from the items offered and by monitoring their portion size.

McDonald’s has provided nutrition about our quality food for more than 35 years. Today, there are eight ways customers can easily access McDonald's nutrition information: on McDonalds.com, via our toll-free telephone number (1-800-244-6227), on select product packaging, on the backs of trayliners, in-restaurant nutrition brochures, via voice-activated information through our toll-free number, via mobile devices and now on HealthyDiningFinder.com.

As an improvement to Happy Meals, Goody says McDonald’s sells more than 72 million Apple Dippers annually and more than 180 million Milk Jugs per year.

And guess what? McDonald's will even be adding oatmeal to its breakfast offerings next year.

We'll see if that gets the same real estate on their menu board that the Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese (740 calories) with large fries (500 calories) and soft drink (310 calories). 

(By the way, those aren't the most calorie-dense offerings: that would be the Angus Bacon Cheese with 790 calories, 2070 mg sodium, and the large triple thick chocolate shake at 1160 calories.)

If you want to check out the nutritional stats of your favorite Mickey D's food, you can view the pdf here.

To read the entire interview with Goody: http://www.nrn.com/article/qa-dr-cindy-goody-mcdonald’s-usa-director-nutrition?ad=healthydining&utm_source=MagnetMail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=richardsons15@yahoo.com&utm_content=NRN-News-NRNam-11-12-10&utm_campaign=Red%20Lobster%20looking%20to%20lower%20price%20points#ixzz154azWBnz

Nutrition data - will it just fade away?

Saw the item below (with the blue headline) in Nation's Restaurant News.

Can you imagine what would happen if the department of transportation dropped seatbelt regulations because drivers didn't like them much? Or if ski areas skipped publicizing the responsibility code because snowboarders didn't like like it much?

Businesses always resist regulations - until they have to comply and customers begin to appreciate the change. Remember the big stink after the Tylenol poisonings, and everyone resisted sealing their containers because of the added cost? But once it became widespread, companies even expanded it to such things as bleach, because, surprise, it prevent leakage and upped their bottom line.

Going lean on nutritional data

California Pizza Kitchen dropped calorie data when it recently printed new menus, in part because customers just didn't like it much. The change highlights the different ways California's chain restaurants are dealing with new and still-evolving rules that dictate how they provide patrons with nutritional information about the food they serve. Los Angeles Times

Monday tips

I said I'd post the best tips from my Shrine Mont seminar, but it lasted an hour and I couldn't tell which were the best. So I'm going to list a few each Monday for the next few weeks. And I'd love to hear yours. If you don't want to leave a comment on the posts, just e-mail me at lori.korleski.richardson@gmail.com and I'll share them, too.

• Instead of the water your recipe calls for, try juices, bouillon, or water you've cooked vegetables in. Instead of milk, try buttermilk or yogurt. It can add a whole new flavor and improve nutrition.
• Get into the habit of measuring the oil you use while you cook, rather than just pouring it out of the bottle. It will be easier to moderate the amount you use. Or use an oil mister.
• When sautéing, use a small amount of chicken broth or wine instead of butter or oil, especially if you don’t care if it browns. Don’t add too much liquid at a time, or you will boil the food instead of sautéing.
• To make fat-free broth, chill your meat or chicken broth. The fat will rise to the top, and you can remove it before using the broth.
• In cooked spaghetti sauces and salsas, carrots do a more effective and nutritious job of sweetening than sugar.