Michelle Obama campaign dedicated to creating America without childhood obesity
The first lady’s encouragement seems to be reaching many restaurants including Darden Restaurants Inc., the owners of Olive Garden, Red Lobster and a few other popular chain restaurants. They now are taking the pledge to reduce the calories and sodium in its meals and redo its kid’s menus.
This pledge by the company will reduce the calories and sodium in its meals by ten percent over five years and twenty percent over ten years. Those sugar sweetened beverages and French fries will be an exception and not a rule. Drew Mardsen, president and chief operating officer of Darden had related to the Associated Press, kids meals will naturally come with side of vegetables or fruit and eight ounces of one percent milk. There exception is if it an adult requests different for the child.
Over 400 million meals a year at over 1,900 nation-wide locations are severed by Darden.
Darden owns Olive Garden, Red Lobster, LongHorn SteakHouse, The Capital Grille, Season 52 and Bahama Breeze. Its two restaurants Capital Grille and Season 52 do not provide kids menus.
At the beginning of the year, the first lady’s campaign had brought McDonalds, Burger King, I Hop, Chili’s and over a dozen other large and small chain restaurants taking the pledge to substitute French fries in kid’s meals with fruit. They also vowed to remove those tempting pictures of less healthy food off of their menus.
Today one in three American children are overweight or obese. This places the children at a higher increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and other health conditions. The first lady has a desire to help children today grow up and become healthy adults that maintain weight, eat properly and exercise.
It has been a year that the first lady had asked the National Restaurant Association in a speech to "actively promote healthy foods and healthy habits to our kids." Mrs. Obama stated that consumers spend half of their food money on meals outside the home and consume one in three meals at restaurants. Her suggestion was to serve low-fat milk and have healthy sides like apple slices. French fries would be available but upon request.
A survey among chefs (those working in family dining, fine dining and fast food restaurants) conducted by the association had revealed that their customers were ordering healthier food choices and paid attention to nutritional content more now than they had two years prior. Chefs also ranked healthy children’s meals as the fourth hottest restaurant trend. This is behind locally grown and sustainable foods.
Soon, the government will require restaurants who have 20 or more locations, to have clear calorie counts on their menus this also includes bakeries, grocery and convenience stores and coffee chains.
The first lady is scheduled to participate in today’s announcement, scheduled at an Olive Garden restaurant in the Washington suburb of Hyattsville, Maryland. This will be her latest appearance with retailers among others in support of her anti-obesity efforts.
Wal-mart the nation’s largest grocer stood with the first lady in January, when they had taken the pledge to redevelop thousands of their products to make them healthier.
Just this summer Wal-mart, Walgreens and other regional grocers had received applauds from the first lady in their commitment to aide in the elimination of “food deserts” through opening or expanding in rural or urban areas who do not have easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Melody Barnes, White House domestic policy adviser had commented that Darden’s announcement equals a big-voice endorsement of the kinds of changes the first lady had asked the nation’s restaurant owners and operators to make.
Drew Madsen, had stated that they think this” the most comprehensive health and wellness commitment in the industry”
Healthy Dining In Detroit:
Au Bon Pain
Renaissance Center Tower 200, Suite 2012
Detroit
313-393-2271
IHop
2701 East Jefferson Avenue
Detroit
313-393-7166
Chili’s
5707 Southfield Road
Detroit
313-271-2393.
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