There was once this popular saying in Louisiana, “If it’s
good with a pat of butter, it’s better with a stick of butter.” But with
soaring American obesity rates in recent years, that saying isn’t even comically
muttered, especially in reference to our rich sauces and our cultural affinity
to fry everything from delicious Gulf seafood to cupcakes.
The industry is taking active steps to assist restaurant patrons
in making wiser ordering decisions, while still appreciating the need to treat
ourselves. While some restaurants don’t always offer a large array of healthy
options, we should all take responsibility for what we put in our mouths and
how much exercise we partake in each day. Recently, though, restaurants have
been doing more.
The National Restaurant Association (NRA) teamed up with
Healthy Dining Finder last summer to launch Kids LiveWell—a voluntary program
to help parents and children select healthful menu options when dining out.
Yesterday at the NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago, President/CEO
Dawn Sweeney announced that Kids LiveWell restaurant participation has
increased to 25,000 restaurants, up from 15,000 in July 2011; a 40 percent
increase.
“Participation in the Kids LiveWell program has exploded in
a short period of time, with restaurant companies from across the industry
eager to showcase their healthful choices,” said Sweeney. “As a result, parents
are finding a growing selection of healthful children’s menu options of fruit
and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.”
With more than 96 restaurant brands now taking part in Kids
LiveWell, many of those have locations in Louisiana such as Chick-fil-A,
Applebee’s, Sonic, Burger King, Chili’s, IHOP, Cracker Barrel and Outback Steakhouse.
“We are working to increase Kids LiveWell participation by
our independent restaurants to help further their marketing efforts and increase
traffic from diners looking for healthy menu offerings,” said Pam St. Pierre,
Louisiana Restaurant Association VP of Member Services. “As a mother of three, I consider the healthfulness
of everything my children eat. When we dine out at a restaurant, it’s important
to me that they have healthy options.”
