I uploaded the game on a website to get feedback and test it. I was having a hard day, no one would come up and test the game. I can get more feedback if this were linked with the Consume myspace/facebook pages, I can't find them. Thanks for the help! I'll upload the other one later.
5/5/09
5/4/09
binder
Shansa and I should have the word definitions and stuff for the group part of the binder mainly done by tomorrow, but we all need to finish our individual parts as well. I was wondering if just to keep them all consistent we could stick with the eurostile font in like size 12, justified, and maybe with bold headings? Shansa picked out some paper for the press kit and we can use it to print on for the binder as well. I will bring it to class tomorrow if you want to print on it, and then hopefully we can get the binder together. Also Brian said on the last project we all needed to sell our product and treat him like a client so we really should try to come up with some good ideas for the presentation.
5/2/09
rough definitions for the brand words in the binder
Shansa is going to go through these and edit them on Sunday, and then we will repost them, but here are the rough definitions I did tonight.
Vision
Consume was created to educate college students about healthy, and easy alternatives to fast food. By inspiring them to change their eating habits this will lead to healthier generations as these students mature, and have children that they raise to eat healthy. The vision of the website is for the students to get excited and motivated to make a change to a healthier life, through a simple and clean site with facts and tips on healthy eating habits. The website will include a flash game to keep them entertained, and viral videos that will inform them. It will also include pages for the press kit, posters, and links to other sites that our brand is on.
Meaning
The meaning of Consume is to show the destructive and disgusting side effects of fast food on a person, and to motivate college students to start living a healthier life. If mass amounts of the population start to make healthier choices then fast food establishments would be forced to add healthier options, or to change their products. The brand is trying to create far reaching ramifications by helping to change a generations belief about fast food and health.
Authenticity
Consume will stand out as the brand that is trying to make a difference in the health of future generations through simple changes. We are the brand that is taking on the fast food establishments that are brining down the health of people nationwide, and now worldwide as they continue to expand. We will use successful branding techniques from other major brands like the Truth campaign, but we differentiate our brand through our subject, techniques and style. We will strive to stay on the cutting edge through viral videos, and campaigns that push the limits to keep the students attention.
Differentiation
Campaigns that are geared towards healthy living are usually aimed at people who are already parents. That way they can change their habits, and raise healthier children. Consume is geared towards college students so that they can change their habits before they have children, and then they can pass on their healthy traits. We will set ourselves apart from other campaigns geared at healthy lifestyles by creating a shock value that appeals to younger generations. We will stay hip and current with our branding with what is appealing to college students nationwide. We will hold events on campuses to create more interest and get more people involved.
Sustainability
Consume will sustain by keeping current on trends among college students. Right now viral videos and shocking campaigns are what is popular, but in the future the brand can adapt to any new techniques that will be popular. Viral videos will be our main focus currently because they can be passed on easily, and they provide free advertisements. We will also stay current with students by having our own pages on popular sites like MySpace, Facebook, Blogger, and Twitter. In the future we can add new pages to new sites that will all continue to link back to the website.
Coherence
Consume will have a consistent theme throughout the campaign by staying focused on the message of a healthy lifestyle for college students. All of the deliverables like the posters, videos, websites, etc will all have the same theme with differing ways of getting the message through. The posters and videos will have an edgier urban street feel to them with a more shocking approach to get the students interested in the brand, and motivate them to visit the site. The site will have a cleaner style that will also feature these items along with shocking facts, but it will include pages with advice and tips on eating healthy.
Flexibility
Consume will evolve to meet the needs and style of its current market. It currently has an edgy urban street theme, but it could easily adapt to a new trend. We will have to stay up to date with what the trends are in fast food as well so that we can keep our marketing techniques aimed at what is popular.
Commitment
Consume will stay devoted to educating college students about healthy alternatives. Our logo, websites, posters, and videos will adapt to current trends that will catch the attention of the younger generations. The brand as a whole can change styles, and techniques as long as we stay committed to making a nation of healthier citizens.
Value
We will substantiate and increase the value of our brand by creating and staying current with popular trends among college students. Consume will appeal as a hip brand that really cares about the health of a nation instead of as a brand controlled by the money making rich elite. We will be the brand that is reaching out to create a difference. We will appeal as a brand that is really trying to make a change by reaching out to people through campus events around the nation.
Positioning
Consume will be positioned as the brand for college students to find a healthier way of life. We will be the brand that states the facts that fast food chains do not want their consumers to know. The brand will give easy steps for the students to improve their lives and eat healthy. We will be the brand that is edgy, aimed at the youth, and viral worthy.
Brand Strategy
The brand will use its marketing techniques like the posters positioned on campuses to get students to visit the website. On the website they will find information about healthy alternatives, and unhealthy facts about fast food. Pages on sites like Facebook, MySpace, Blogger, and Twitter will have information and links to the Consume website. Viral videos will draw attention to our brands messages and lead viewers back to the website. The flash games will show the unhealthy elements in fast food products, and that healthy food beats fast food. The brand will catch the eye and thoughts of the college students it is targeting, and it will continue to stay an educational tool.
Names
The name Consume became the motivation behind our brand. We wanted to show how people devour food without thinking about what they are eating. They also eat mass amounts of unhealthy food because it is cheap and fast. They do not think about the consequences of all of the fast food that they are Consuming, and our brand is trying to address all of these issues.
Trademark
The brand will be trademarked to ensure that the site, videos, posters, and other promotional materials cannot be copied. We will strive to set the brand apart from others, and it will be important to make sure that our style, ideas, and resources remain ours.
Brand Architecture
The brands main focus will be to get students to visit the website. From there they can view videos, play the flash game, look at our promotional materials like the posters, and link to other websites. The main objective will be to keep the website current, interesting, and captivating so that students continue to go back to the site and refer friends. The videos will be another important aspect to the campaign so that they capture the attention of and create interest for the students. Videos will need to be created on a continuous basis so that they continue to be edgy, and trendy.
Taglines
We have the main tagline of “What your fast food isn’t telling you.” This will be substantiated through the website by it providing facts about the unhealthy side of fast food, and by it offering healthy alternatives. We will also have other taglines that will be used through out the brand like “Lovin it a bit to much,” which is a spin off of McDonalds. Our brand will play off of the taglines of popular fast food chains to show the unhealthy ideas that they promote.
Design
The design is based off of a current urban street style that is popular among college students. Bright colors that are variations of colors by fast food companies give a reminiscent feeling towards them, but with a new spin that fits with the style of college students. There is a splattered paint feel that sets it apart from the clean basic styles of the corporate world. The website will have a cleaner design for functionality, but it will still embody the look and feel of the brand.
Demographics
College students are the demographics of our brand, and they are usually between the ages of eighteen to twenty four. Male and female fast food consumers will be the main target. We will be trying to change their mind about fast food, and educate them about healthy alternatives.
Short/Long Term
Our short term goal is to change the eating habits of current college students so that they can live a healthier life. The long term goal is that they will pass on their eating habits and healthy values to future generations. In a few decades this will create a nation of healthier citizens that chooses to eat healthy alternatives. This will also force fast food restaurants to change their menu options, or change their entire way of preparing meals, and their ingredients.
Ramifications/cultural & societal
The cultural ramifications are that we will make it appear as though fast food is not an alternative for prepared meals that people want to consume. They will find it to be unpopular to eat fast food, and that making healthy choices is the right thing to do. The societal ramifications are that we will become a nation with less obese citizens, and we will have less health problems like strokes, diabetes, and heart attacks.
Vision
Consume was created to educate college students about healthy, and easy alternatives to fast food. By inspiring them to change their eating habits this will lead to healthier generations as these students mature, and have children that they raise to eat healthy. The vision of the website is for the students to get excited and motivated to make a change to a healthier life, through a simple and clean site with facts and tips on healthy eating habits. The website will include a flash game to keep them entertained, and viral videos that will inform them. It will also include pages for the press kit, posters, and links to other sites that our brand is on.
Meaning
The meaning of Consume is to show the destructive and disgusting side effects of fast food on a person, and to motivate college students to start living a healthier life. If mass amounts of the population start to make healthier choices then fast food establishments would be forced to add healthier options, or to change their products. The brand is trying to create far reaching ramifications by helping to change a generations belief about fast food and health.
Authenticity
Consume will stand out as the brand that is trying to make a difference in the health of future generations through simple changes. We are the brand that is taking on the fast food establishments that are brining down the health of people nationwide, and now worldwide as they continue to expand. We will use successful branding techniques from other major brands like the Truth campaign, but we differentiate our brand through our subject, techniques and style. We will strive to stay on the cutting edge through viral videos, and campaigns that push the limits to keep the students attention.
Differentiation
Campaigns that are geared towards healthy living are usually aimed at people who are already parents. That way they can change their habits, and raise healthier children. Consume is geared towards college students so that they can change their habits before they have children, and then they can pass on their healthy traits. We will set ourselves apart from other campaigns geared at healthy lifestyles by creating a shock value that appeals to younger generations. We will stay hip and current with our branding with what is appealing to college students nationwide. We will hold events on campuses to create more interest and get more people involved.
Sustainability
Consume will sustain by keeping current on trends among college students. Right now viral videos and shocking campaigns are what is popular, but in the future the brand can adapt to any new techniques that will be popular. Viral videos will be our main focus currently because they can be passed on easily, and they provide free advertisements. We will also stay current with students by having our own pages on popular sites like MySpace, Facebook, Blogger, and Twitter. In the future we can add new pages to new sites that will all continue to link back to the website.
Coherence
Consume will have a consistent theme throughout the campaign by staying focused on the message of a healthy lifestyle for college students. All of the deliverables like the posters, videos, websites, etc will all have the same theme with differing ways of getting the message through. The posters and videos will have an edgier urban street feel to them with a more shocking approach to get the students interested in the brand, and motivate them to visit the site. The site will have a cleaner style that will also feature these items along with shocking facts, but it will include pages with advice and tips on eating healthy.
Flexibility
Consume will evolve to meet the needs and style of its current market. It currently has an edgy urban street theme, but it could easily adapt to a new trend. We will have to stay up to date with what the trends are in fast food as well so that we can keep our marketing techniques aimed at what is popular.
Commitment
Consume will stay devoted to educating college students about healthy alternatives. Our logo, websites, posters, and videos will adapt to current trends that will catch the attention of the younger generations. The brand as a whole can change styles, and techniques as long as we stay committed to making a nation of healthier citizens.
Value
We will substantiate and increase the value of our brand by creating and staying current with popular trends among college students. Consume will appeal as a hip brand that really cares about the health of a nation instead of as a brand controlled by the money making rich elite. We will be the brand that is reaching out to create a difference. We will appeal as a brand that is really trying to make a change by reaching out to people through campus events around the nation.
Positioning
Consume will be positioned as the brand for college students to find a healthier way of life. We will be the brand that states the facts that fast food chains do not want their consumers to know. The brand will give easy steps for the students to improve their lives and eat healthy. We will be the brand that is edgy, aimed at the youth, and viral worthy.
Brand Strategy
The brand will use its marketing techniques like the posters positioned on campuses to get students to visit the website. On the website they will find information about healthy alternatives, and unhealthy facts about fast food. Pages on sites like Facebook, MySpace, Blogger, and Twitter will have information and links to the Consume website. Viral videos will draw attention to our brands messages and lead viewers back to the website. The flash games will show the unhealthy elements in fast food products, and that healthy food beats fast food. The brand will catch the eye and thoughts of the college students it is targeting, and it will continue to stay an educational tool.
Names
The name Consume became the motivation behind our brand. We wanted to show how people devour food without thinking about what they are eating. They also eat mass amounts of unhealthy food because it is cheap and fast. They do not think about the consequences of all of the fast food that they are Consuming, and our brand is trying to address all of these issues.
Trademark
The brand will be trademarked to ensure that the site, videos, posters, and other promotional materials cannot be copied. We will strive to set the brand apart from others, and it will be important to make sure that our style, ideas, and resources remain ours.
Brand Architecture
The brands main focus will be to get students to visit the website. From there they can view videos, play the flash game, look at our promotional materials like the posters, and link to other websites. The main objective will be to keep the website current, interesting, and captivating so that students continue to go back to the site and refer friends. The videos will be another important aspect to the campaign so that they capture the attention of and create interest for the students. Videos will need to be created on a continuous basis so that they continue to be edgy, and trendy.
Taglines
We have the main tagline of “What your fast food isn’t telling you.” This will be substantiated through the website by it providing facts about the unhealthy side of fast food, and by it offering healthy alternatives. We will also have other taglines that will be used through out the brand like “Lovin it a bit to much,” which is a spin off of McDonalds. Our brand will play off of the taglines of popular fast food chains to show the unhealthy ideas that they promote.
Design
The design is based off of a current urban street style that is popular among college students. Bright colors that are variations of colors by fast food companies give a reminiscent feeling towards them, but with a new spin that fits with the style of college students. There is a splattered paint feel that sets it apart from the clean basic styles of the corporate world. The website will have a cleaner design for functionality, but it will still embody the look and feel of the brand.
Demographics
College students are the demographics of our brand, and they are usually between the ages of eighteen to twenty four. Male and female fast food consumers will be the main target. We will be trying to change their mind about fast food, and educate them about healthy alternatives.
Short/Long Term
Our short term goal is to change the eating habits of current college students so that they can live a healthier life. The long term goal is that they will pass on their eating habits and healthy values to future generations. In a few decades this will create a nation of healthier citizens that chooses to eat healthy alternatives. This will also force fast food restaurants to change their menu options, or change their entire way of preparing meals, and their ingredients.
Ramifications/cultural & societal
The cultural ramifications are that we will make it appear as though fast food is not an alternative for prepared meals that people want to consume. They will find it to be unpopular to eat fast food, and that making healthy choices is the right thing to do. The societal ramifications are that we will become a nation with less obese citizens, and we will have less health problems like strokes, diabetes, and heart attacks.
website sketch1
blogger will not upload my website sketches so I will just email them to you. My internet is going so slow right now that it might take a few hours to email them all. I will try now if they won't go through I will email them again shortly
uppercase or all lowercase
So I am still not sure about the upper case lower case type. I think they were saying that in paragraphs they wanted normal text, but in headings and stuff they wanted lowercase. Is this correct?
website designs
I was wondering if anyone new what dimensions Erin was using for the website. I am making the sketches but I was wanting to make them at the right size. I figured she was using the 1024 by whatever it is for the page size, but the I remember on her designs she also had that blue box inside of the yellow background, and I was not sure how big to make the box. If that makes since please let me know because I don't know how big to make anything
4/28/09
4/26/09
press kit
Shansa and I were talking on friday and we think it would be best to just make a book that is a plain color like one of the reds in our color pallet with the logo. We were thinking that the ones with pictures or designs on the front would make it look cluttered and less professional. I was wondering what you guys were thinking as well as to if this is a good idea or not. Let me know what you are thinking
4/22/09
biographies
biographies of the teams of design studio II
visual identity system
The team leader Angela Van Broekhuizen, and her teammates Joseph Garcia, and Matt Huth III were responsible for developing the visual design aspect of the campaign. They created the logotype, defined the typography, color palette, illustration style, and the swag for our campaign.
print and web communications
The group leader Erin Aggeler, along with her group of Shansa Suleyman, Jennifer Constantine, and Danielle Langston were in charge of creating the more interactive aspects of the campaign. They designed the posters, the website, the flash interactive game, and the press kit.
film and motion graphics
The team leader Sean King, with his group of Elizabeth Eastham, Nikita Solodukhin, and Jess Wellington created the visual animation portion for the group. They produced the logo animations, promotional videos, title and end credits, transition animations, and animations to be used on the web or viewed on a DVD.
advertising and promotion
The group leader Renee Mudd, and her team of Mike Baker, and Tanya Lipscomb created the promotional materials for the group. They were in charge of researching how to make a successful brand, finding content for the graphics, creating references to our brand on facebook, myspace, and blogger, and creating promotional materials.
visual identity system
The team leader Angela Van Broekhuizen, and her teammates Joseph Garcia, and Matt Huth III were responsible for developing the visual design aspect of the campaign. They created the logotype, defined the typography, color palette, illustration style, and the swag for our campaign.
print and web communications
The group leader Erin Aggeler, along with her group of Shansa Suleyman, Jennifer Constantine, and Danielle Langston were in charge of creating the more interactive aspects of the campaign. They designed the posters, the website, the flash interactive game, and the press kit.
film and motion graphics
The team leader Sean King, with his group of Elizabeth Eastham, Nikita Solodukhin, and Jess Wellington created the visual animation portion for the group. They produced the logo animations, promotional videos, title and end credits, transition animations, and animations to be used on the web or viewed on a DVD.
advertising and promotion
The group leader Renee Mudd, and her team of Mike Baker, and Tanya Lipscomb created the promotional materials for the group. They were in charge of researching how to make a successful brand, finding content for the graphics, creating references to our brand on facebook, myspace, and blogger, and creating promotional materials.
Cover letter
Danielle Langston
9234 West Ontario Drive
970-531-6265
May 7, 2009
9News Newsroom
9News
500 Speer Blvd.
Denver, CO 80203
9News:
The Digital Design students at the University of Colorado Denver have created an anti fast food campaign. With this campaign they are trying to educate college students about the negative aspects of fast food, and to offer healthy alternatives.
The campaign was created to try and break college students from their addiction with fast food. Students gravitate towards fast food because of its cheap cost, quick turnout, and ease. We are trying to show that those concepts are not good for them in the long run. Ideas for healthy alternatives will be provided that show quick meals that can be prepared quickly and at little cost. On Thursday May 7th, we will be presenting the campaign with its multiple facets. Three promotional videos, a website, posters, stickers, swag, and a promotional campaign.
Please refer to the press release and our website at http://www.consumethis.info for more information.
press release
for immediate release
What: Consume
Who: Design Studio Two
University of Colorado Denver
College of Arts and Media
Where: University of Colorado Denver
When: Thursday, May 7
When: Thursday, 8:30-11:15am
Consume is a brand established between students in the Design Studio II class at the University of Colorado, Denver, College of Arts and Media (CAM) to produce an anti fast food campaign.
The digital design students at CAM developed an anti fast food campaign to educate other college students about the healthy alternatives to fast food. The students introduced this campaign with: three promotional videos, a website, a flash interactive game, posters, stickers, and swag. The purpose of this anti fast food campaign is to educate students about a healthier and better way of life.
Additional information can be found at:
http:www.consumethis.info
For more information contact:
Danielle Langston 970-531-6265 or Danielle.langston@email.ucdenver.edu
4/16/09
todays class
Today we all decided on the saying of "what your burger isn't telling you." And we are supposed to incorporate the slogan into our projects if we can. That is basically all we got done since it was just a work day.
4/15/09
Web Research
http://www.campusgrotto.com/most-visited-websites-by-college-students.html
http://www.surveyu.com/images/pdf/online_video_release_091107su.pdf
Surveys taken among the general population and among US college students underscore the fact that college students differ dramatically when it comes to the shift to online video. Comparing statistics collected by SurveyU (http://www.surveyu.com) with the results of the Pew Internet / American Life Project’s Online Video study (http://www.pewinternet.org), college students far surpass the rest of the Internet population in the consumption of on-demand, downloaded video.
While only 57% of adult Internet users have ever watched online video, 93% of college students have ever watched online video. On a typical day, 19% of Internet connected adults download video, whereas more than three times as many (62%) college students download video. College students’ desire to share viewing experiences with others is evidenced by higher percentages of students who send and receive links to online video to and from others.
http://www.marketingcharts.com/television/survey-to-reach-college-students-brands-need-to-use-internet-1389/
Anderson Analytics completed a recent survey of the most used websites by College Students.
Here are the Top 10 results:
http://www.surveyu.com/images/pdf/online_video_release_091107su.pdf
Surveys taken among the general population and among US college students underscore the fact that college students differ dramatically when it comes to the shift to online video. Comparing statistics collected by SurveyU (http://www.surveyu.com) with the results of the Pew Internet / American Life Project’s Online Video study (http://www.pewinternet.org), college students far surpass the rest of the Internet population in the consumption of on-demand, downloaded video.
While only 57% of adult Internet users have ever watched online video, 93% of college students have ever watched online video. On a typical day, 19% of Internet connected adults download video, whereas more than three times as many (62%) college students download video. College students’ desire to share viewing experiences with others is evidenced by higher percentages of students who send and receive links to online video to and from others.
http://www.marketingcharts.com/television/survey-to-reach-college-students-brands-need-to-use-internet-1389/
As college students prepare to invade campuses, marketers can best reach and build relationships with this demo of up-and-coming consumers via the internet, which students prefer to both TV and radio, according to a recent Burst Media study of college students (pdf).
The July 2007 Burst Media online survey of 439 college students 18-24 years old studied students’ media consumption, how they finance their discretionary spending, and what influences their brand preferences.
http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/datasets/college-students-media-consumption-m/versions/1
Description: In the fall of 2008, eighteen first year students in a big ten school were asked to keep track of the media they consumed, the time they slept and how much time they spent on homework.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15663067
Use of the Internet to retrieve health information is increasingly common. The authors surveyed 743 undergraduate students at 2 academic institutions to examine their Internet use, health-seeking behaviors, and attitudes related to the use of the Internet to obtain health information. Fifty-three percent of the respondents indicated that they would like to get health information online, and 28% reported that they would like to attend a health program online. Overall, 74% of the students reported having ever received health information online, and more than 40% reported that they frequently searched the Internet for information. They used various search engines and multiple Web sites to find health information. Issues related to the credibility of the information on health Web sites were crucial considerations for students. The study found differences in Internet use for health information by gender and by level of Internet experience.
Home Page
Here is a new idea for the home page. I tried to incorporate our style but still keep the page simple and easy. Let me know what you think...
4/7/09
4/1/09
Link Structure
Hope this clarifies the site map I put up. Each box represents a single page, and the grey boxes indicate pages that will be featured in the navigation bar on the home page.
3/31/09
Flash Concepts/Class 03/31
For Erin and Shansa: In class today the Visual group has come down to a graphic novel look or maybe not, it was a tie between a cartoon look and a street look. Leister suggested a graphic novel look be cause it is a combination to the two. Thursday the are going to come up with four more looks.
My concepts for the flash game:
Concept 1
is a PAC man maze game, I based it on the Monster C logo the visual group came up with. You are the C monster and you have to get out in the quickest amount of time. The burgers lead to the quickest way out of the maze but take out of your time. The carrots lead the only other way out and add to your time. This makes a great analogy to our research. Eating fast food is cheaper but it does take out a few years of your life, so you would be dead before you reached the exit. On the other hand, the carrots would lead you to a longer root, but each carrot you eat would add years to your life span an you would be able to do more in life by the time you get to the end.
Concept 2
Anatonmy of the Burger - I saw a drawing in the Art building and it gave me the idea for the layout for the burger. You can pick any of the parts of the burger and that would lead to another window and show all the gross ingredients in that part like the toliet cleaner in the beef patties.
Concept 3
Healthy Alternatives - Just some interactive tips on healthy alternatives or ways you can avoid having to eat fast food. You have this map of different icons of different tips, when you click on a icon a window opens and further explains the tip to the user.
Be sure to leave comments of what you think by Wednesday! I like the first one and so did leister just so you know.
My concepts for the flash game:
Concept 1
is a PAC man maze game, I based it on the Monster C logo the visual group came up with. You are the C monster and you have to get out in the quickest amount of time. The burgers lead to the quickest way out of the maze but take out of your time. The carrots lead the only other way out and add to your time. This makes a great analogy to our research. Eating fast food is cheaper but it does take out a few years of your life, so you would be dead before you reached the exit. On the other hand, the carrots would lead you to a longer root, but each carrot you eat would add years to your life span an you would be able to do more in life by the time you get to the end.
Concept 2
Anatonmy of the Burger - I saw a drawing in the Art building and it gave me the idea for the layout for the burger. You can pick any of the parts of the burger and that would lead to another window and show all the gross ingredients in that part like the toliet cleaner in the beef patties.
Concept 3
Healthy Alternatives - Just some interactive tips on healthy alternatives or ways you can avoid having to eat fast food. You have this map of different icons of different tips, when you click on a icon a window opens and further explains the tip to the user.
Be sure to leave comments of what you think by Wednesday! I like the first one and so did leister just so you know.
3/27/09
3/24/09
Rough Site Map
Home/Search
About Us/ Contact
Facts
Summary
Info-graphics... more information
Media
Videos
Swag/Stickers?
wallpapers/screensavers?
rss feed/newsletter
press kit
posters
game
Advertising/Promo
Ads
*more here soon....
Links
Myspace
Facebook
other ideas?
* Page names to be determined.
About Us/ Contact
Facts
Summary
Info-graphics... more information
Media
Videos
Swag/Stickers?
wallpapers/screensavers?
rss feed/newsletter
press kit
posters
game
Advertising/Promo
Ads
*more here soon....
Links
Myspace
other ideas?
* Page names to be determined.
Updated Calendar
Hey group,
Just realized I never posted the new production calendar on here. I haven't gotten to the site map yet, but I will try to have it up before 9 pm tonight so we all have time to comment on it and make modifications. Also, I will try emailing Angie today, since nobody has responded to my post over the weekend about consume.com being taken already. I will let you know if I hear anything about that. Hope you are enjoying your first couple days off!
ERIN
3/19/09
3/12/09
Homework!!!!! For our Group
Research similar campaign designs:
website, posters,newsletters, etc... To support our ideas.
Additional research for our group??
-college students and fast food habits
-negative health affects of health
-break down of nutrients from fast food. Example: protein fat veggies fruit, grains, in like a whopper or a big Mac. And any additional research.
list of words from our book (Bible) page 17 How it pertains to brand and our group?
-Meaning
-differentiation
-sustainability
-value
-authenticity
-commitment
-flexibility
-vision
-coherence
We need to as a group be able to explain these in our presentation on Thursday!
One website design layout for each one of us.
Deliverables for Web
What are the deliverables?
-Stickers
- web
- newsletter
- poster
-digital postcard
- press kit
- flash game
Is there anything not on the list?
The stickers ad the flash game are not on the list.
Are there items on the list that are not applicable to the brand?
No pickles
-Stickers
- web
- newsletter
- poster
-digital postcard
- press kit
- flash game
Is there anything not on the list?
The stickers ad the flash game are not on the list.
Are there items on the list that are not applicable to the brand?
No pickles
Our collective ideas of additional research & application
Additional Research
-College students and fast food habits.
-Negative health effects from the food.
-International fast food trends.
-How many calories per day or week on average a fast food eater takes in compared to people that eat healthier/at home.
-The breakdown of nutrients people are getting from the most prominent fast food items. Like how much protein, fat, veggies, fruit, and breads/grains are in an item like a Whopper, Big Mac, burrito.
-How much money the long term negative effects of eating fast food can cost someone like heart attacks, strokes, gym memberships, etc.
How brand can be implemented
- Exercise workouts at local gyms or recreation centers.
- Events at colleges
- Have fast food associated with fat, depressed, low-motivated people.
-Create buzz with mass protests of fast food for a day. (Campaign could be applied in all groups medium).
-Create a “mockumentary” style campaign that appropriates familiar fast food brand ideologies.
-Similar to the televised “TRUTH” campaigns that demonstrate shocking statistics through social demonstrations, we could organize a demonstration on campus in a similar fashion as the cigarette exposing campaign.
- Advertise the dangers of eating fast food like a surgeon general’s warning label on cigarettes. Gain support to persuade the label to be required on all fast food packaging.
Ideas that pertain to print and web
- Have a flash game for the site about fast food.
- Find compelling facts and images that illustrate the effects of fast food, combined with small, simple and probably one line type that summarizes the message.
- Create a poll for the web that tracks trends of the viewers fast food habits and displays average results for each question, i.e. how many times a month do you eat fast food or how much money do you spend on fast food compared to groceries?
- Produce stickers (I have a vinyl plotter and create a lot of them very cheap), handouts, buttons, and other disposable print materials in addition to the posters and web promotion.
- Create a series of info-graphics that visually demonstrate interesting portions of our research and can be included in both print and web deliverables
- Create a website with images that show the negative effects fast food is having on consumers bodies. Show images of their arteries being clogged, their fast cells increasing, and a lack of good nutrients.
-College students and fast food habits.
-Negative health effects from the food.
-International fast food trends.
-How many calories per day or week on average a fast food eater takes in compared to people that eat healthier/at home.
-The breakdown of nutrients people are getting from the most prominent fast food items. Like how much protein, fat, veggies, fruit, and breads/grains are in an item like a Whopper, Big Mac, burrito.
-How much money the long term negative effects of eating fast food can cost someone like heart attacks, strokes, gym memberships, etc.
How brand can be implemented
- Exercise workouts at local gyms or recreation centers.
- Events at colleges
- Have fast food associated with fat, depressed, low-motivated people.
-Create buzz with mass protests of fast food for a day. (Campaign could be applied in all groups medium).
-Create a “mockumentary” style campaign that appropriates familiar fast food brand ideologies.
-Similar to the televised “TRUTH” campaigns that demonstrate shocking statistics through social demonstrations, we could organize a demonstration on campus in a similar fashion as the cigarette exposing campaign.
- Advertise the dangers of eating fast food like a surgeon general’s warning label on cigarettes. Gain support to persuade the label to be required on all fast food packaging.
Ideas that pertain to print and web
- Have a flash game for the site about fast food.
- Find compelling facts and images that illustrate the effects of fast food, combined with small, simple and probably one line type that summarizes the message.
- Create a poll for the web that tracks trends of the viewers fast food habits and displays average results for each question, i.e. how many times a month do you eat fast food or how much money do you spend on fast food compared to groceries?
- Produce stickers (I have a vinyl plotter and create a lot of them very cheap), handouts, buttons, and other disposable print materials in addition to the posters and web promotion.
- Create a series of info-graphics that visually demonstrate interesting portions of our research and can be included in both print and web deliverables
- Create a website with images that show the negative effects fast food is having on consumers bodies. Show images of their arteries being clogged, their fast cells increasing, and a lack of good nutrients.
Constantine's ideas
Things we need to know more about
What percent of the demographic actually cares about being Healthy.
More about how fast food affects women to bear unhealthy babies.
Figure when people go grocery shopping what weighs more when buying food: Healthy or Cheap?
What percent of the demographic actually cares about the Environment.
How the brand could be implemented
1. TV Commercials on family safe channels like ABC or Cartoon Network
2. Exercise workouts at local gyms or recreation centers.
3. Brochures
4. Start a line of healthy, quick frozen meals.
5. Events at colleges
Ways to approach brand
1.Environmentally
2.compare with the attractive people in the ads to pathetic, whinnying, fat people.(Its like saying fast food is what losers eat not winners.)
3. How fast food causes women to have malformed babies or really unhealthy babies.
4. Somehow have fast food associated with Depression (most people eat fast food when depressed).
5. Have fast food associated with fat, depressed, low-motivated people.
Ideas for our group
1. Make some funny videos that target men like only fat, losers eat fast food. Real men eat something from home.
2. Have a flash game for the site that has a guy who if he eats fast food, he explodes. If he eats healthy food he gains more muscle.
3. Have brochures that show data on all the negative effects of fast food: weight gain, depression, heart disease, etc... Give some quick tips on making quick healthy meals.
This what I was able to come up with. Sorry I can't be there, I got really sick last night! Good luck today.
What percent of the demographic actually cares about being Healthy.
More about how fast food affects women to bear unhealthy babies.
Figure when people go grocery shopping what weighs more when buying food: Healthy or Cheap?
What percent of the demographic actually cares about the Environment.
How the brand could be implemented
1. TV Commercials on family safe channels like ABC or Cartoon Network
2. Exercise workouts at local gyms or recreation centers.
3. Brochures
4. Start a line of healthy, quick frozen meals.
5. Events at colleges
Ways to approach brand
1.Environmentally
2.compare with the attractive people in the ads to pathetic, whinnying, fat people.(Its like saying fast food is what losers eat not winners.)
3. How fast food causes women to have malformed babies or really unhealthy babies.
4. Somehow have fast food associated with Depression (most people eat fast food when depressed).
5. Have fast food associated with fat, depressed, low-motivated people.
Ideas for our group
1. Make some funny videos that target men like only fat, losers eat fast food. Real men eat something from home.
2. Have a flash game for the site that has a guy who if he eats fast food, he explodes. If he eats healthy food he gains more muscle.
3. Have brochures that show data on all the negative effects of fast food: weight gain, depression, heart disease, etc... Give some quick tips on making quick healthy meals.
This what I was able to come up with. Sorry I can't be there, I got really sick last night! Good luck today.
Additional Brainstorming
Areas of additional research to consider:
1) Childhood obesity linked to fast food advertising.
2) Healthy choices and alternatives.
3) Environmental effects from waste, transportation and pollutants.
4) College students and fast food habits.
5) Negative health effects from the food.
6) Fast food advertising and positioning.
7) International fast food trends.
8) Parenting and fast food.
Ideas for brand implementation:
1) Create buzz with mass protests of fast food for a day. (Campaign could be applied in all groups medium).
2) Create a “mockumentary” style campaign that appropriates familiar fast food brand ideologies.
3) If we decide on the “Mind the Waist (or Waste?)” tagline, we could play with the typography of the word to allude to both connotations. In example we could create a measurement tape squeezing effect on the midsection of the word, and maybe arrange it in front of a silhouette of a trash can or recycling bin.
4) Similar to the televised “TRUTH” campaigns that demonstrate shocking statistics through social demonstrations, we could organize a demonstration on campus in a similar fashion as the cigarette exposing campaign.
5) Advertise the dangers of eating fast food like a surgeon general’s warning label on cigarettes. Gain support to persuade the label to be required on all fast food packaging.
Ideas for print and web implementation:
1) Find compelling facts and images that illustrate the effects of fast food, combined with small, simple and probably one line type that summarizes the message.
2) Create a poll for the web that tracks trends of the viewers fast food habits and displays average results for each question, i.e. how many times a month do you eat fast food or how much money do you spend on fast food compared to groceries?
3) Produce stickers (I have a vinyl plotter and create a lot of them very cheap), handouts, buttons, and other disposable print materials in addition to the posters and web promotion.
4) Create a series of info-graphics that visually demonstrate interesting portions of our research and can be included in both print and web deliverables.
5) Build a small flash game to be included on the web that is themed fast food.
1) Childhood obesity linked to fast food advertising.
2) Healthy choices and alternatives.
3) Environmental effects from waste, transportation and pollutants.
4) College students and fast food habits.
5) Negative health effects from the food.
6) Fast food advertising and positioning.
7) International fast food trends.
8) Parenting and fast food.
Ideas for brand implementation:
1) Create buzz with mass protests of fast food for a day. (Campaign could be applied in all groups medium).
2) Create a “mockumentary” style campaign that appropriates familiar fast food brand ideologies.
3) If we decide on the “Mind the Waist (or Waste?)” tagline, we could play with the typography of the word to allude to both connotations. In example we could create a measurement tape squeezing effect on the midsection of the word, and maybe arrange it in front of a silhouette of a trash can or recycling bin.
4) Similar to the televised “TRUTH” campaigns that demonstrate shocking statistics through social demonstrations, we could organize a demonstration on campus in a similar fashion as the cigarette exposing campaign.
5) Advertise the dangers of eating fast food like a surgeon general’s warning label on cigarettes. Gain support to persuade the label to be required on all fast food packaging.
Ideas for print and web implementation:
1) Find compelling facts and images that illustrate the effects of fast food, combined with small, simple and probably one line type that summarizes the message.
2) Create a poll for the web that tracks trends of the viewers fast food habits and displays average results for each question, i.e. how many times a month do you eat fast food or how much money do you spend on fast food compared to groceries?
3) Produce stickers (I have a vinyl plotter and create a lot of them very cheap), handouts, buttons, and other disposable print materials in addition to the posters and web promotion.
4) Create a series of info-graphics that visually demonstrate interesting portions of our research and can be included in both print and web deliverables.
5) Build a small flash game to be included on the web that is themed fast food.
3/11/09
Part 2 of Research
The 8 areas that i think we could really focus on more is:
- more of the environmental approach. How, What, Why?
- Alternatives
- more about health. risks....so on
- health vs obesity
- More about what is actually in the food. (Ingredients)
- Money
- salaries
- economics
- economy
Ideas on how to brand out:
-target it towards parents with young children. In a way of laziness, money, health, whats good for their kids whats not. What affects it has on the body and so on...
- more of the environmental approach. How, What, Why?
- Alternatives
- more about health. risks....so on
- health vs obesity
- More about what is actually in the food. (Ingredients)
- Money
- salaries
- economics
- economy
Ideas on how to brand out:
-target it towards parents with young children. In a way of laziness, money, health, whats good for their kids whats not. What affects it has on the body and so on...
3/10/09
PRINT AND WEB: Preliminary Research Summary
Advertising:
• Every day, nearly one-third of U.S. children aged 4 to 19 eat fast food, which likely packs on about six extra pounds per child per year and increases the risk of obesity, (based on a study of 6,212 youngsters).
• According to a recent study, that attempts to measure the effect of TV fast-food ads on children, concluded that A ban on such commercials would reduce the number of obese young children by 18 percent, and the number of obese older kids by 14 percent
• Teens who watch TV more than five hours a day are prone to become fast-food junkies as adults.
• Childhood obesity around the world, and particularly in the United States, is an escalating problem that is especially detrimental as its effects carry on into adulthood.
• Rise in Colorado of corporate "sponsorships" to cover shortfalls in school districts' budgets: "Whether it's first graders learning to read or teenagers shopping for their first car, we can guarantee an introduction of your product and your company to these students in the traditional setting of the classroom," reads one chilling brochure for a Kids Power Marketing Conference. Fast-food companies are at the leading edge of this new marketing strategy, placing not just hallway ads and banners in schools but also targeted, branded educational materials in classrooms, produced with tax-deductible dollars.
• Between the years 1978 to 2000 the rate of obesity doubled for teenagers, and almost tripled for children.
• Approximately 60% of Americans are overweight and 25% are obese. There are so many diseases that come along with being overweight or obese. Stroke, heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis are a few of the major problems that can occur. Partially hydrogenated oils and high saturated fats increase cholesterol and increase your risk of heart attacks or strokes. The high levels of sodium and preservatives can increase your blood pressure.
Health:
• Fast-food consumption has increased in the United States during the past three decades. While there have been many discussions about fast-food's effects on obesity, this [CARDIA study] appears to be the first scientific, comprehensive long-term study to show a strong connection between fast-food consumption, obesity, and risk for type 2 diabetes.“
• A recent CNN study concluded that a person's risk of stroke is associated with the number of fast-food restaurants near their residence, according to a study presented at a stroke conference in San Diego, California.
• The US Department of Agriculture's recommended daily intake for a normal adult male is 2800 kilocalories (11,723 kilojoules) and a maximum of 93 grams of fat. A meal at a fast-food outlet - burger, fries, drink and dessert - can deliver almost all of that in a single sitting.
• Global reporting service, World Monitor, surveyed adults in Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, asking them how often they eat at a restaurant, eat take-out food, deli, or food-stand, and eat on their way to somewhere else. In each case, Americans came out on top.
• Eating out used to be an occasional thing, but today Americans consume about one-third of their total calories in restaurants, says Margo Wootan, DSc, CSPI's nutrition policy director.
Environment:
• Nearly 100 million Americans are overweight or obese, which is more than 60 percent of the adult population; during the last 20 years the number of overweight and obese Americans has doubled.
• Fluorinated telomers, a type of very small polymer with Teflon-like properties, keep grease from seeping through paper and cardboard packaging such as french fry cartons and pizza boxes. And although the telomers themselves may be innocuous in normal use, they can break down upon ingestion into perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
• Carl’s Jr. has opened a green flagship restaurant in Carpinteria, California. The restaurant will measure energy efficiency and be evaluated for potential company-wide implementation.
• Junk food is made from ingredients that are raised using pesticides and petroleum based fertilizers. Essentially, when you eat fast food and junk food, you are eating fossil fuels. According to Dale Allen Pfeiffer, you are eating a lot of them: 400 gallons of oil equivalents per person per year, 31% of it for inorganic fertilizer. And these numbers don't include transport, storage, packaging or anything else, just the food itself.
Alternatives:
• Healthy Meals on Wheels: Just have a cooler in the car and fill it with healthy items for each different memeber of the family: water, chocolate milk, apple slices, pretzals, crackers, fruit, nuts, etc...
• Although obesity is the second leading cause of death in America, fast food restaurants stay open. In addition to rising health concerns, fast food places cut into finances students don’t have. Looking at an average “combo meal” consisting of a burger, fries and drink, one figures the cost to be $4 to $6 a meal. (Value menus aren’t always filling.) Multiply that cost by five work days and costs are around $20 to 25 per week. In a month fast-food eaters have lost anywhere between $100-150 – an expensive price for an unhealthy diet.
• Stock your cabinets with fast, nutritious food: Planning helps you pull your own fast-food act together. Get out the calendar and figure out your food needs for the week ahead. Make a quick list.
• Healthy fast food isn't a new idea. Several chains have long offered salads. McDonald's even introduced a McLean burger in the early 90s, but it didn't catch on. But nutritious fare now seems to be a trend, driven by hopes of greater profits, according to industry observers.
• Whole Foods Organic To Go Meals: Whole Foods is always a great alternative to greasy burgers and fries. They’ve almost all got amazing salad bars, cold bars, hot bars and even a pizza bar for when you’re feeling naughty. But if you don’t have time to make a salad or wait in a line they also have pre-packaged (in the store, not in a factory) Organic To-Go meals. They’re fresh, yummy and feature a variety of foods to work with whatever craving you may be having.
• According to the article "Rating fast food dollar menus" It is extremely hard to find lunch under 5 dollars these days. So, Wendy's started the craze in 1989 when it launched its Super Value Menu. Since then, Burger King, McDonald's and Taco Bell have all grouped together items that sell for about $1
• Organic-To-Go: a new fast food restaurant of organic meals popping up around country.
• Gusto Organics, meals for everyone: Vegans, carnivores, vegetarians and those who can’t do gluten.
• Chipotle, The company is the country’s largest restaurant buyer of naturally raised meats and 30 percent of their beans are organic. They’re sour cream is also free of any growth hormones.
• The Sierra Club is doing a good job right now in terms of [working to mitigate] the environmental impact of factory farms. The runoff from these farms is one of the leading causes of water pollution in the United States. The hormones that they're giving to these cattle are excreted in their manure and are winding up in streams. And they're finding fish that are weirdly deformed -- their sexual organs are deformed -- downstream of these feedlots.
TAGLINES:
• Bad eats, Bad treats
• Save your money, save your health
• Ban fads to ban fat
DIRECTION:
• Our most interesting and relevant preliminary research seemed to revolve mostly around advertising and health. While there were some good observations and alternative ideas, we should likely conduct some more in-depth research in this area.
• Tobacco industry related to the fast food industry (similarities and differences in campaigning against each industry). … They reference the fast food industry in the movie Thank You For Smoking.
• Almost all the research related to advertising focused on the effects it has on children and teenagers. Scientific study proposes that banning fast food advertising would reduce the number of obese young children by 18 percent, and the number of obese older kids by 14 percent.
Constantine's research part 2
http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=nutrition_calculator
a calulator for tallying how much calories from chipolte:
The tortillia is 300 cal by itself.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/what-to-eat-instead-fast-food
Just have a cooler in the car and fill it with healthy items for each different memeber of the family: water, chocolate milk, apple slices, pretzals, crackers, fruit, nuts, etc...
Buy convince food at the grocery: canned, bagged, frozen, pre-cut, or pre-washed.
13 meals you can make at home
Little dippers
Speedy side dishes
Frozen to table main dishes
quick chicken dinner
quick baked potato
black bean soup
veggie soup
super salads
Pasta pronto
cook big, freeze small
omelets
cereal
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/fast-food-alternatives?page=3
t's late, your kids are hungry, and you don't have time to cook. Put down the phone and pass up the drive-through. You can rustle up a number of fast-food alternatives in minutes.
Not only can you put together a faster, healthier meal -- with fewer calories and less fat and sodium -- but you can save money, too.
"Americans spend nearly half their food dollars on food prepared away from home, but that only accounts for about 21% of the meals they eat," says Joanne Lichten, PhD, RD, author of How to Stay Healthy & Fit on the Road.
Here are tips to show you how -- whether you're at home or on the road.
Healthy Fast Food: For the Road
When you want an alternative to the fast-food joints calling your name, think cool: an insulated cooler, that is. Then stock it with:
* Water, low-fat milk, or 100% juice. But beware of the calories in drinks other than water, says Lichten.Take that cooled milk and douse it over whole-grain cereals that come in their own single-serve cups. A great snack or part of a meal when you're in transit.
* Low-fat cheese sticks to go with rolls and fruit.
* Tubes or cartons of yogurt.
* Cut veggies or washed baby carrots and cherry tomatoes. Add a container of low-fat dip.
* Sliced bananas, apples, grapes and pears.
Other single portion items for portable feasts include:
* Peanut butter in a tube or a small tub to go with crackers or bread sticks.
* Single-serve cans of tuna with easy-open tops and crackers.
* Cans or cups of fruit packed in their own juice.
* Dehydrated bean soups (get hot water at a roadside rest stop).
"Always have fruit and vegetables along for the ride," Lichten recommends. "They are the foods we miss out on when traveling."
Trail mix made from dried fruits, nuts, seeds, pretzels, or cereal with a few chocolate chips thrown in for good measure makes a satisfying snack, adds Kerry Neville, MS, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
And in a pinch -- when you're on the road with children and didn't plan ahead -- pull into the supermarket instead of the fast-food drive-in. You can pick up fresh fruit, cheese, and bread for a satisfying meal to go.
Healthy Fast Food: At Home
Stock Your Cabinets With Fast, Nutritious Food
Planning helps you pull your own fast-food act together. Get out the calendar and figure out your food needs for the week ahead. Make a quick list. Now it's time to shop. Consider stocking:
* Whole-grain breads and cereals, pasta, and prepared pizza crust.
* Milk, reduced-fat shredded cheese, eggs, canned tuna, canned beans, peanut butter, lean ground beef patties, chicken, and meatballs.
* Fresh, frozen, or no-added-salt canned vegetables; fresh and dried fruit; and fruit canned in juice.
* Quick-cooking grains such as 10-minute brown rice and whole-wheat couscous.
* Cartons of 100% orange juice, milk, applesauce, peanut butter, and yogurt in your fridge and cabinets. These work great for road trips, too.
Just a couple of hours spent cooking main courses one or two weekends a month works wonders for whipping up fast and healthy food on hectic weeknights. Tips to try:
* Let your slow cooker save you time. Throw the ingredients for chili or beef stew in and turn to other activities.
* Roast a chicken or turkey. This frees you up to concentrate on projects around the house, too.
* Put together a pan or two of lasagna.
* Make double batches of anything you cook, and freeze half.
Super Sandwich Suppers
Sandwiches can help you get supper on the table super fast. For tasty fast-food alternatives, try:
* Pre-formed lean beef burger patties or veggie burgers. Serve on whole-grain buns. Pair with cooked frozen carrots and peas; fruit; and milk.
* Barbecue pulled pork served on whole grain buns with corn and fruit on the side.
* Tuna melts with reduced-fat cheese on whole-wheat bread, and salad.
* Quesadillas made with low-fat cheese, fat-free refried beans, and leftover chicken served with a green salad.
Breakfast for Dinner
"Eggs are the basis of several quick and nutritious dinners," Neville says. For example, try:
* Scrambled eggs served in whole-wheat pita pockets with salsa and low-fat grated cheese; salad; milk or 100% juice, such as orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
* Whole-grain French toast, applesauce for dipping, and milk.
* Omelets made with leftover cooked vegetables and served with whole-grain rolls, fruit and milk.
* Hard cook a half dozen eggs. Toss them in salads, or use them for grab-and-go snacks or lunch.
Healthy Fast Food: Half-Way Homemade
Supermarkets can save the day when you want fast food and great nutrition. Think of these quick grab-and-go meals as half-way homemade:
* (Practically) No-Cook Chicken Dinner. Pick up two cooked rotisserie chickens (the extra is for meals to come); precut broccoli florets in the produce section or frozen "steamer" vegetable combos from the freezer case, and crusty whole-grain bread from the bakery department. Serve with canned pineapple or Mandarin oranges.
* The Salad Bar. Let your kids loose on the supermarket salad bar for a great fast-food alternative. Be sure they include a protein source, such as tuna, beans, eggs, cottage cheese, tofu, or cheese; dark leafy greens; and fruit. Keep dressings and toppings to a minimum. Buy whole-grain rolls to serve with the salad at home. You can also pick up shrimp cocktail or sushi, too.
* Fast and Health Stir-Fry. Combine frozen Asian vegetable stir-fry mix, leftover rotisserie chicken, precooked chicken from meat case, tofu, or shrimp and serve over quick-cooking brown rice.
* 20-Minute Pizza. Neville favors whole-wheat Boboli-type crusts, spaghetti sauce or prepared pesto sauce, and part-skim mozzarella cheese and veggies from supermarket salad bars for concocting a quick pizza. You can also use whole-wheat English muffins, tortillas, or pita bread for crust, she says.
* Soup-er Star Main Courses. Start with lower-sodium canned soup and add frozen diced vegetables, cooked macaroni or quick-cooking brown rice, and leftover diced cooked chicken or turkey or beans. Serve with fruit or salad and low-fat milk.
Several soups, such as tomato, lentil, and split pea, double as a serving of vegetables from the food pyramid, Neville notes. Prepare tomato soup with low-fat milk for extra calcium and vitamin D as well as a serving of dairy.
These ideas are just a few healthy alternatives to fast food. Next time you're at the supermarket, shop with an eye toward fast and nutritious and you're bound to come up with great ideas of your own.
Remember, says Neville: "In the time it takes to wait for take-out pizza or Chinese food you could put together a much healthier meal."
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56598
With their ability to provide good-tasting, inexpensive meals in a hurry, fast-food restaurants have changed the eating habits of millions of Americans. Now there's something new on their menus: lower-fat and lower-calorie salads, sandwiches, and desserts that are both tasty and nutritious.
Wendy's has Garden Sensations salads, McDonald's has Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait, Burger King has a Veggie Burger, and Arby's has a Light Menu. Every month seems to bring an announcement of something new. Among the latest: Premium Salads with Newman's Own dressings at McDonald's.
Healthy fast food isn't a new idea. Several chains have long offered salads. McDonald's even introduced a McLean burger in the early 90s, but it didn't catch on. But nutritious fare now seems to be a trend, driven by hopes of greater profits, according to industry observers.
Chains hope that by targeting the growing number of health-conscious consumers -- namely, women -- they can bolster sluggish sales, says market analyst Walter Butkus, a partner in the firm Restaurant Research.
That said, he says that the chains aren't about to change their core menu of burgers and fries, and will continue to focus on their main customer base: men ages 18 to 24.
"They're not so worried about their health," Butkus says of this group. "They want cheaper eats that taste good and that they can get on the go."
But competition for those customers is stiff.
"The fast food business has matured," Butkus tells WebMD. "There's not much growth in sales or additional units, so they're offering add-on products like salads to appeal to women and people a bit older."
But just how healthy are these new offerings, coming from restaurants renowned for juicy burgers and deep-fried potatoes?
Jayne Hurley, a senior nutritionist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest who wrote a recent CSPI report on the best and worst fast foods, was pleased to find some truly healthy fast food. Her top picks are McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait, Burger King's BK Veggie Burger and Chicken Whopper Jr., and Wendy's Garden Sensations salads.
"I never thought you'd find luscious strawberries and blueberries layered with low-fat yogurt and granola at McDonald's"
Here's her analysis of those dishes:
* McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (380 calories, 5 fat grams, just 2 of which are saturated fat). "In my wildest dreams, I never thought you'd find luscious strawberries and blueberries layered with low-fat yogurt and granola at McDonald's," she says. "As opposed to some foods that just have an absence of bad, this has a lot of things that are good for you, and it's delicious as well." She cites the calcium in yogurt, the fiber and nutrients in fruit, and fiber in granola. Order the smaller snack size, and you cut the calories in half.
* Burger King's BK Veggie Burger (330 calories, 13 fat grams, 2 of which are saturated fat). "It's the first time a major burger chain put a meatless sandwich on the menu," she says. "They deserve an enormous amount of credit for taking that step. Personally, I don't think it's the best-tasting veggie burger that's come down the pike, but once you put it between a bun with lettuce, tomato and all the other fixings, it's fine."
* Burger King Chicken Whopper Jr. (370 calories, 23 fat grams, 3 of which are saturated fat). Hurley commends the sandwich for its true grilled flavor but cautions against ordering the full-sized version, which packs 580 calories.
* Wendy's Garden Sensations (calories and fat vary). "Prior to these salads, fast food salads were iceberg lettuce with cheese on top," Hurley says. "Now Wendy's offers a base of dark leafy greens topped with interesting, high-end salad ingredients that make them more tempting."
Hurley also gives high marks to Subway, which, strictly speaking, is in the "quick casual" rather than fast-food restaurant category. She praises Subway for pioneering and promoting healthy, delicious sandwiches with fewer than 6 grams of fat.
Eating out used to be an occasional thing, but today Americans consume about one-third of their total calories in restaurants, says Margo Wootan, DSc, CSPI's nutrition policy director.
"Both adults and children eat about twice as many calories out compared to eating at home," she says. "And they eat more saturated fat, and less calcium, fiber, fruits and vegetables."
She says that healthy fast-food choices often are not obvious, and that consumers need information in order to make good decisions. "One of the policies we're working on is to get the chains -- both (sit-down) restaurants and fast food -- to list calories on their menus or menu boards," she tells WebMD.
Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokesperson, advises limiting visits to fast-food restaurants to a few times a week. "All foods fit, including an occasional burger and fries," she says. "You just can't be living there. Most of the time, try to fill up on salads or grilled chicken." Given the epidemic of obesity among children, Zelman advises parents to request healthy substitutions for kids' meals, like a small salad instead of fries. "You might have to pay a little more, but you don't have to get the standard kid meal," she says.
And by all means, the nutrition experts say, stay away from the chains' "value pricing" promotions, which offer huge portions for a few cents more than regular portions.
"Who doesn't like a bargain?" Hurley asks. "But once it's on your tray, it will probably make it to your mouth."
Future Fare
Of course, this latest healthy fast-food trend could end up going the way of the McLean burger, but industry observers say there are some promising signs.
"Garden Sensations probably accounted for 10 percent of Wendy's sales when it first rolled out early in 2002," Butkus says. "That could have been a honeymoon period, but everybody would like to have an extra 10 percent of sales. If this trend is successful, the chains will roll out more products, promote more chicken products and look for ways to make kids' meals healthier."
And there have been other developments, including:
* In England, McDonald's offers a bag of apples and grapes to customers. The fruit can be purchased separately or substituted for French fries in Happy Meals.
* McDonald's is testing all-white meat Chicken McNuggets.
* Kentucky Fried Chicken will introduce more non-fried products.
* Jack in the Box plans to open an "Innovation Center" in 2004 to develop lighter products to attract more female customers.
* Fast-food chains are paying attention to the appeal of "quick casual" restaurants like Panera Bread, Cosi, and Au Bon Pain, that serve fresh, non-fried foods. Butkus says the fast-food chains might borrow menu ideas.
* CSPI, noting the dangerous increase in obesity among children, is pushing the chains to stop targeting children with ads for unhealthy foods. "We'd like for them to be good corporate citizens," Wootan says, "but if not, we'd like the government to step in and limit the advertising to children of foods that are low in nutrition and high in calories, saturated fat and sugar."
One sure way to know what you're getting at the fast-food counter, nutrition experts say, is to consult the restaurant's nutrition guide. A little knowledge can help you plan your menu selections before you succumb to those yummy-smelling French fries.
These guides, provided by several fast-food chains, contain so much information that they can be daunting. But remember that you don't have to weigh every single value. Zelman advises making choices based on the number of calories and amount of fat. Simply seeing the difference between a Big Mac and a regular hamburger -- 590 vs. 280 calories, and 34 vs. 10 grams of fat -- might tip the scale when you go to place your order. And don't forget, you can ask for nutrition guides at the restaurants you visit, or find them online.
McDonald’s is all over this year’s Olympic games, despite the fact that I guarentee you that no athlete is eating anything from the fast food giant. I have friend’s who are serious athletes nowhere near the level of the Olympians and their diet is so specific it sometimes scares me. Nonetheless, the millions upon millions of folks watching these athletes compete are being told to make their way to the golden arches. It is on that note that we at TakePart give you the Top 5 Organic Fast Food Alternatives.
Because let’s be honest, athlete or no athlete, sometimes we’re in a hurry and we still need to eat. Let me know if I’ve missed any and takepart to learn how you can support a film that is working to explore the ins and outs of organic food.
http://www.takepart.com/blog/2008/08/12/top-5-organic-fast-food-alternatives/
Top 5 fast-food alternatives
1) Whole Foods Organic To Go Meals:
Whole Foods is always a great alternative to greasy burgers and fries. They’ve almost all got amazing salad bars, cold bars, hot bars and even a pizza bar for when you’re feeling naughty. But if you don’t have time to make a salad or wait in a line they also have pre-packaged (in the store, not in a factory) Organic To-Go meals. They’re fresh, yummy and feature a variety of foods to work with whatever craving you may be having.
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2) Organic To-Go
Not to be confused with Whole Foods, Organic To-Go is a new fast food chain that is starting to pop up across the country. They’ve got restaurants in California and both Washington’s (state and DC) and are America’s first fast casual cafĂ© to be USDA certified as an organic retailer. More than that, they’re also a catering service - meaning no more gross sandwiches at your next big work meeting - esp if you’re a vegetarian, I mean does anyone think cold thick not fresh vegetable sandwiches actually taste good?
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3. Gusto Organics
The first USDA certified organic restaurant in New York City, Gusto has meals for everyone - vegans, carnivores, vegetarians and those who can’t do gluten. Just looking at their website makes my mouth water. It may be a little fancier than most fast food but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
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4. Chipotle
Of course not everyone lives in a big city and sometimes you really do need your food in 5 minutes. For you, I recommend Chipotle. The company is the country’s largest restaurant buyer of naturally raised meats and 30 percent of their beans are organic. They’re sour cream is also free of any growth hormones. Not too bad, plus, like another unhealthy fast food giant, you can “have it your way” here and get whatever toppings you choose.
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5. Dunkin Donuts
OK, so I know Dunkin Donuts isn’t an organic place, the reason they’re on my list though is that beyond food the one thing people need quickly and often is coffee. And if you need to stop at a big chain to get some coffee, the place I will always recommend to you is Dunkin Donuts. Back in 2003, before fair trade was hip, Dunkin Donuts starting using fair trade beans in all of their espresso drinks. And that, if you ask me, is pretty damn cool. Plus, let’s be honest, most of us aren’t Olympic athletes, and once in awhile we just need a donut.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0714-02.htm
Subway: Junk Food, Junk Economy
by Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman
What's the largest fast junk food chain in the country?
Wrong.
It's not McDonald's.
It's Subway.
Subway overtook McDonald's last year in the United States and now has 15,874 locations in the U.S. compared to 11,533 for McDonald's.
Worldwide, Subway has 21,528 restaurants in 75 countries.
McDonald's has more than 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries.
Subway founder Fred DeLuca says he wants 30,000 outlets worldwide by 2010.
Of course, Subway would not want you to think that it is not a fast junk food chain.
In fact, the privately held firm has overtaken McDonald's by riding a wave of publicity featuring Jared Fogle, who says he lost 245 pounds on the following diet - coffee for breakfast, Subway sandwich for lunch, and Subway sandwich for dinner.
Soon, the word was out - you could lose weight eating Subway sandwiches.
And tomorrow, on the National Mall, Subway founder and CEO DeLuca will join with Fogle, the American Heart Association, members of Congress (including the corporate liberal Rose DeLauro, D-Connecticut, whose district contains Subway's corporate headquarters), and various "nutritional experts" to "galvanize support for fighting childhood obesity."
We went and visited our local Subway and found that in fact, there was health and diet information displayed, including a nutritional and dietary guide with the American Heart Association's stamp of approval.
But as at most fast junk food outlets, Coke machines, the rows of bags of chips, and the rubbery chicken and unappetizing beef were screaming - unhealthy, stay away.
You could order a salad, or a vegetarian sandwich. The chain markets seven subs with six grams of fat or less.
But for the most part, the staple of this franchise is processed meats and cheeses, soft drinks and chips.
Subway sandwiches include such classics as Steak and Cheese, Subway Melt (a first class blend of turkey breast, ham, crispy bacon, and melted cheese) Italian BMT (pepperoni, genoa salami, and ham) and the Cold Cut Trio (turkey based ham, salami, and bologna) - not your typical heart healthy sandwiches.
Should members of Congress and the American Heart Association be promoting this multinational junk food company?
Of course they shouldn't.
The American Heart Association has sullied its reputation by getting in bed with whatever corporation comes around with its checkbook open.
According to a report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the American Heart Association has taken big corporate cash from a long list of drug companies, junk food companies, and even from the National Livestock and Meat Board, which gave $189,000 to sponsor a HeartRide cycling series "to help ensure that people don't think that AHA recommends abstaining from meat."
In return for endorsing only Bayer aspirin, AHA gets $500,000 a year from Bayer. Nice deal, if you can cut it.
And how much money has Subway kicked in?
According to the AHA, Subway has given $4 million to the American Heart Association (AHA) since 2002, and will gave an additional $6 million through 2007. That's a total of $10 million.
In exchange, Subway gets to put the AHA "fighting heart disease and stroke" logo on its materials throughout its chain of stores, according to an AHA spokesperson.
In a written statement, the AHA said it will only accept sponsorships from "those restaurants that have a public/market positioning associated with healthy foods or have heart-healthy and non-fried food alternatives on the menu."
"Subway actively promotes low-saturated fat meal options and exercise in their advertising messages," the AHA said in the statement. "Their messaging reinforces that a well-balanced diet and exercise are important tools in maintaining a healthy weight."
We agree with Commercial Alert's Gary Ruskin that it's "not the proper role of the federal government or public health groups to hawk Subway or any other form of fast or junk food."
"This is part of the broader story of the corruption of the American public health movement," Ruskin said. "AHA ought to drop its support for Subway. They have been converted into an auxiliary marketeer for Subway. They are apparently for sale."
"The fast food companies are running in a panic over the obesity epidemic," Ruskin said. "They are striving to do something to make it seem that they are not responsible for it or part of it. This is just one more way that companies like Subway try to hide their tracks and boost their public relation images."
The government and independent public health organizations should be helping the American people fight off the hyperbreeding of fast food outlets cannibalizing the country - not promoting it.
In addition to promoting his beloved Subway and making millions a year doing so, DeLuca wants to bring an Indian gambling casino to Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Call it the junk food/junk economy connection.
According to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, DeLuca invested $10 million in the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation's successful effort to gain federal recognition so they could build a casino in Connecticut. Blumenthal is challenging that recognition.
And the House Government Reform Committee is in the middle of an investigation of how the Schaghticoke Tribe and the Eastern Pequots gained such recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Earlier this year, the Hartford Courant reported that a rival band of Indians charged that the federal recognition of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation "was hijacked by outside investors and high-priced lobbyists intent on winning a lucrative gambling franchise for their own benefit."
Whether or not the investors and lobbyists hijacked the process we'll leave to federal investigators.
But what is clear is that Subway and DeLuca have hijacked the American Heart Association, Congresswoman DeLauro, and various federal agencies to promote their own brand of fast junk food.
http://www.drgourmet.com/health/fastfood/subway.shtml
Includes a chart that shows a list of food items to get from subway
that are under 15 g of fat and 400 cal. Just remember don't eat a foot long for a meal. A foot long is enough for 2 meals, which means you would be paying $2.50 per meal.
http://living.health.com/2009/02/19/americas-healthiest-fast-food-restaurants/
top 10 healthiest fast-food resturants
Panera Bread
Jason's deli
Au Bon Pain
Noodles and company
Corner Bakery
Chipolte
Atlanta Bread
McDonalds
Enistien's bagels
Taco Del Mar
http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/fast_food
Fast Food Waste Threatens our Marine Environment, Drags Down Diversion Rates
America's fast food culture is hurting more than our waist lines. With it's grab-and-go, overly packaged food stuffed with unnecessary condiments, fast food outlets are our country's primary source of urban litter and a significant hurdle to local communities' waste diversion goals.
Litter characterization studies across the country have recognized fast food restaurants as the primary identifiable source of urban litter. The most abundant type of non-cigarette litter is foamed polystyrene ("Styrofoam"). This foamed plastic, a staple of fast food restaurant, becomes a permanent fixture in our environment when littered. Easily travelling through gutters and storm drains, it eventually reaches the ocean. Indeed, plastics from urban runoff is the largest source of marine debris, which in some parts of the ocean is so concentrated that there is six times more plastic than plankton!
Furthermore, fast food restaurants are a drag on local communities' waste diversion rates. Currently, less than 35% of fast food store's waste is diverted from landfills, the vast majority of which is cardboard. Very little food packaging and almost no fast food plastic is currently diverted from landfills. This low diversion rate is surprising considering the vast majority of restaurant waste is not plastic--its main litter culprit--but rather paper, a perfectly recyclable resource. The problem of fast food is not insurmountable. Like many areas of waste generation, a few simple, economical changes in the way the fast food industry handles its waste could change what currently is a major source of unrecyclable, permanent litter to a model for other businesses.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYP/is_16_111/ai_112983133
Some toxic chemicals may appear where consumers least expect them: on fast-food packaging, says Lauren Sucher, communications director of the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) of Washington, D.C. Fluorinated telomers, a type of very small polymer with Teflon-like properties, keep grease from seeping through paper and cardboard packaging such as french fry cartons and pizza boxes. And although the telomers themselves may be innocuous in normal use, they can break down upon ingestion into perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA also is a component in the manufacturing process of fluoropolymers and can be present in trace amounts in fluorinated telomers.
Although the human health effects of PFOA are still unconfirmed, the chemical's ubiquity is cause for concern. Studies submitted in 2001 by the 3M Company (then a PFOA manufacturer) to the government found the chemical in the blood of 96% of 598 children tested in 23 states and the District of Columbia, Sucher says. The EWG is concerned that people could ingest PFOA that transfers from packaging to food, and that as the telomers break down in landfills and other disposal channels, PFOA could enter the environment.
Identifying exactly which products use fluorinated telomers is no simple matter. These telomers aren't regulated, and most packaging doesn't identify their presence. Typically they are applied at paper mills, which supply coated paper to manufacturers that in turn supply packaging to restaurants.
In March 2003, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated a priority review under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The review was based on limited data showing some presence of PFOA in people's blood and studies involving laboratory animals that showed potential developmental and reproductive toxicity, liver toxicity, and cancer. In a 14 April 2003 Federal Register notice, the EPA released a preliminary risk assessment for PFOA and outlined a public process for further developing the assessment.
In July 2003 the EWG asked nine of the country's largest restaurant chains--Burger King, KFC, Krispy Kreme, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell, and Wendy's--to report on the types of chemical coatings used in their products. As of October 2003, none of the chains had responded directly to the EWG But some--such as McDonald's, which does use fluorinated telomers for certain products, and Krispy Kreme, which doesn't, and instead uses clay-based products exclusively--have responded to press inquiries following publicity of the EWG's request.
"A question we have to answer," says EPA public affairs officer David Deegan, "is exactly how people are being exposed to PFOA." Scientists are scrambling to find how the chemical finds its way into the bloodstream. Deegan says it's unknown whether food packaging is actually a source of exposure, and that PFOA hasn't been detected in such wrappings.
But Sucher says there is precedent for perfluorochemicals used in paper products ending up in human blood. The internal monitoring studies done by the 3M Company and reviewed by the EPA show that at least one perfluorochemical metabolite specific to paper protection applications is readily found in people, including 85% of the children tested. Sucher says perfluorochemicals such as PFOA have a half-life of an estimated 4.4 years in the human body.
"We are looking at paper applications as just one of several possible pathways to PFOA exposure [in] the environment," says Michelle Reardon, a spokesperson for DuPont, a current PFOA manufacturer. But, she says, many other pathways are under investigation as well. Fluorinated telomers are also used in the manufacture of fire-fighting foam, leather products, carpeting, garments such as stain-resistant trousers, and many other applications. Sorting out these potential sources and pathways of PFOA exposure is one of the priorities of the EPA's review, Deegan says.
In the meantime, Sucher says, environmental groups hope that companies, especially those in the food business, will move away from products with the potential to spread PFOA. "They have every right to use them," she says. "They are abiding with federal law. On the other hand, as a public health advocacy group, we want them to try to find alternatives."
http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/fast_food_waste.htm
What fast food can do to help the environment
Currently there are no federal laws or regulations in the U.S. specifically aimed at getting fast food chains to reduce, reuse or recycle their waste. Businesses of all kinds must always obey local laws pertaining to what must be recycled versus what can be discarded. And a small number of cities and towns have local laws specifically designed to force businesses to do the right thing, but they are few and far between.
Voluntary Fast Food Waste Reduction Makes Headlines
There have been some strides in the fast food business with regard to packaging materials and waste reduction, but it has all been voluntary and usually under pressure from green groups. McDonald’s made headlines back in 1989 when, at the urging of environmentalists, it switched its hamburger packaging from non-recyclable Styrofoam to recyclable paper wraps and cardboard boxes. The company also replaced its bleached paper carryout bags with unbleached bags and made other green-friendly packaging advances.
Some Fast Food Chains Offer Vague Policies on Waste Reduction
Both McDonald’s and PepsiCo (owner of KFC and Taco Bell) have crafted internal policies to address environmental concerns. PepsiCo states that it encourages “conservation of natural resources, recycling, source reduction and pollution control to ensure cleaner air and water and to reduce landfill wastes,” but does not elaborate on specific actions it takes. McDonald’s makes similar general statements and claims to be “actively pursuing the conversion of used cooking oil into biofuels for transportation vehicles, heating, and other purposes,” and pursuing various in-store paper, cardboard, delivery container and pallet recycling programs in Australia, Sweden, Japan and Britain. In Canada the company claims to be the “largest user of recycled paper in our industry” for trays, boxes, carry out bags and drink holders.
Fast Food Recycling Programs Can Reduce Waste and Save Money
Some smaller fast food chains have garnered accolades for their recycling efforts. Arizona-based eegee’s, for instance, earned an Administrator’s Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for recycling all paper, cardboard and polystyrene across its 21-store chain. Besides the positive attention it has generated, the company’s recycling effort also saves it money in garbage disposal fees every month.
A Few Communities Require Fast Food Waste Recycling
Despite such efforts, though, the fast food industry is still a large generator of waste. Some communities are responding by passing local regulations requiring recycling where applicable. Seattle, Washington, for example, passed an ordinance in 2005 prohibiting businesses (all businesses, not just restaurants) from disposing of recyclable paper or cardboard, though violators only pay a nominal $50 fine.
Taiwan Takes a Hard Line on Fast Food Waste
Perhaps policymakers in the U.S. and elsewhere could take a lead from Taiwan, which since 2004 has required its 600 fast-food restaurants, including McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC, to maintain facilities for proper disposal of recyclables by customers. Diners are obliged to deposit their garbage in four separate containers for leftover food, recyclable paper, regular waste and liquids.
“Customers only have to spend under a minute to finish the trash-classification assignment,” said environmental protection administrator Hau Lung-bin in announcing the program. Restaurants that don’t comply face fines of up to $8,700 (U.S.).
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/531177/cutting_down_on_fast_food_waste.html?cat=58
Cutting Down on Fast Food Waste
The average restaurant produces about 8,200 pounds of waste a month, which is more than 98,000 pounds a year. About 15 percent of that waste is in the form of reusable materials. That means nearly 15,000 pounds of waste per month can be completely eliminated. That's
a staggering amount once you factor in the amount of fast food restaurants that are out there. So what are the best ways to recycle all the waste created by fast food?
Fast food waste comes in several forms. Plastic eating utensils, Styrofoam cups and containers, wrappers and napkins make up the bulk of recyclable material that is tossed into the trash in fast food joints. There's also a lot of waste being generated on the other side of the counter. Packing materials, cleaning products, gas, water and electricity are a few examples.
With the enormous amount of waste produced by fast food restaurants, one would think that there would be a set of laws in place to curb it. Currently, there are no federal laws to mandate the recycling of waste from any restaurant. Any recycling done is purely on a volunteer basis. The cost of recycling food- contaminated waste is steep and many cities simply don't have the resources to accomplish it. Right now, customers have only two options: take the materials home and recycle them or throw them away at the restaurant.
Between the store, the government and the customer, there are a number of ways to recycle fast food. Most of the effort must be from the restaurant itself, however. While many view recycling as inefficient and cost prohibitive, there are enough ways to save money to make it all worthwhile to owners.
The first step is to set up a recycling program for grease, cardboard products, plastic and glass with a local collector. Then put bins in areas of eating establishments where customers can access them easily. Keep in mind that most cities don't currently
accept food-tainted materials, which often makes recycling very expensive for restaurants. Also, put bins and receptacles behind the counter for employees to use. You can't recycle material unless you collect it first. Also, contact local farms and compost facilities about donating or selling food waste. Many fast food places throw out any uneaten food at the end of the day. Instead, edible food can be donated to local shelters.
The best way to cut down on the amount of waste created by restaurant is to reduce the amount available in the restaurant. Businesses can cut down on the amount of packaging they use and use straw dispensers instead of using individually wrapped straws to help reduce paper consumption. Instead of using little plastic packets of ketchup and mustard, restaurants could use condiment dispensers. Restaurants can also give discounts on drink prices if they use their own cup. Changing take-out bags from colored paper to unbleached will help make restaurants a little greener as well. Many people don't pay attention to the tiny little recycle symbol on things like cups and packaging. Clearly labeling these items will help remind folks how to best dispose of them.
There are ways for restaurants to recycle behind the scenes that customers won't even know about. Fast food restaurants can purchase supplies made with post-consumer recycled content. Stop using paper hats and go with reusable ones. Instead of paper towels, use cloth ones for cleaning. Purchase products in bulk and rotate perishable food items to reduce spoilage. Businesses can also use fluorescent lights instead of incandescent ones. Also, installing motion-sensing lights in freezers and restrooms will curb excess waste. Installing water-conserving fixtures will help reduce water consumption. Using a monthly maintenance schedule for appliances and equipment will help them run more efficiently. Eating establishments can also use polypropylene based materials instead of polystyrene. While this doesn't sound like a big deal, it can save countless thousands of barrels of oil per year. Better still; businesses can switch to biodegradable materials like cornstarch for all their cutlery and packaging, reducing waste to almost nothing. Lastly, restaurants can ask their vendors to ship materials in recycled materials.
We've looked at how restaurants and their customers can help recycle fast food, but what about governments? Governments can enact laws and levy fines on establishments that don't toe the line. While there are many local governments that already have laws on the
books regarding recycling, most aren't enforced and those that are often don't carry heavy enough fines to discourage wayward businesses.
Local and federal governments can enact and enforce laws banning businesses from dumping recyclable materials. Even if restaurants start small, by recycling only certain items and educating their customers, it will go a long way to getting folks involved. Officials can also stiffen fines significantly. Typically, only token fines of a few dollars are issued. If these fines were raised, it would encourage fast food restaurants to put more effort into their recycling programs. Governments can also offer subsidies to recycling centers that will take on more difficult materials like food-contaminated items. Monies from fines raised could help pay for those subsidies.
In the end, while most restaurants will claim that recycling is just too costly, it doesn't have to be. Using more energy-efficient equipment will help offset the cost of recycling. Implementing biodegradable materials and selling non-edible foods to local animal farms will go a long way towards cutting the costs of waste removal. Most businesses will find that voluntarily getting a little greener and recycling doesn't cost as much as they think.
http://www.commercialexploitation.org/news/2008/11/fastfoodads.htm
CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- A ban on fast-food advertising to children would cut the national obesity rate by as much as 18%, according to a new study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research and funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The study measured the number of fast-food ads kids watched and found a fast-food TV-ad ban for children's programming would reduce the number of overweight children aged 3 to 11 by 18%, and for adolescents (12- to 18-year-olds) by 14%. Data also revealed a more pronounced effect on males than females.
Extensive data
The National Bureau of Economic Research describes the study as "the largest of its kind to directly tie childhood obesity to fast-food advertising on American television," based on viewing habits of 13,000 children, using data from U.S. Department of Labor research carried out in 1979 and 1997. The study also reports that eliminating tax deductions associated with TV advertising would result in a reduction of childhood obesity, though in smaller numbers.
"We have known for some time that childhood obesity has gripped our culture, but little empirical research has been done that identifies television advertising as a possible cause," Shin-Yi Chou of Lehigh University, one of the study's authors, said in a statement. "Hopefully, this line of research can lead to a serious discussion about the type of policies that can curb America's obesity epidemic."
The other authors of the study, which appears in The Journal of Law and Economics this month, were Inas Rashad of Georgia State University and Michael Grossman of City University of New York Graduate Center. It's important to note that even the study's authors question the practicality of so much governmental interference in advertising.
"What it all comes down to is the choices parents make for their kids," said Ellen Davis, a spokeswoman for the National Council of Chain Restaurants, which represents the industry. "Parents choose what their children eat and where their children eat. We all know that children have strong opinions, but parents make the choices."
Cause and effect
Amandine Garde, a law lecturer at the University of Exeter who focuses on legal issues surrounding ad bans, said the biggest hurdle to instituting limitations on messaging to children has been proving the relationship between ads and weight. "Now we're seeing the issue being addressed, the causal relationship, which was denied by the food industry for many, many years," she said. "If you have a causal relationship, it makes the case even stronger that there is a need for regulation."
Sweden and Norway instituted bans on all ads to children in the early 1990s, but the legislation sought to avoid exploitation rather than prevent obesity. Quebec has banned food advertising to children during programs geared toward kids, and the Canadian province has shown lower childhood obesity rates than surrounding areas, although there may be a variety of contributing factors.
Voluntary efforts under way
The industry, of course, has been taking steps on its own, hoping to avoid a ban. Major food-industry players, including McDonald's, Burger King, Kraft and Kellogg, have signed on to the Council of Better Business Bureaus' Childrens' Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. As part of the voluntary program, participants have agreed to devote 50% of advertising dollars geared at children under 12 to messages that promote healthier dietary choices or more-active lifestyles. Healthful-product messages must be consistent with USDA and FDA standards.
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/saabira-chaudhuri/itinerant-mind/fast-food-ads-make-fat-children
ads=fat children
fat children=fat america
A causal relationship between fast food ads on TV and obesity rates in children has been established. This according to a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which revealed that a fast food TV ban for children's programming would reduce obesity rates by 14-18%, with effects being more pronounced for males and younger children.
According to Adage, the National Bureau of Economic Research has described the study as "the largest of its kind to directly tie childhood obesity to fast-food advertising on American television."
"Hopefully, this line of research can lead to a serious discussion about the type of policies that can curb America's obesity epidemic," stated Shin-Yi Chou, one of the study's authors.
The big question of course is whether government intervention should go quite so far as to ban fast food advertising for children's programs, or whether the onus should be on parents. The BBC ran a poll on the issue in 2004 – while the conversation was sharply divided, the majority seemed to think parents, and not advertising, are to blame. Here's a snapshot from the poll of how parents see the issue:
"Anyone who blames TV for their children's' dietary related health problems is just looking for an excuse to shift responsibility away from themselves for their failure to exercise parental control. All the government reviews of advertising in the world won't fix that." Mark, USA
"Personally I think those who want adverts banned are the ones whose children pester them into submission. Banning these adverts would make their lives 'easier' - no pestering children to contend with. Parents appear to be getting lazier and as a consequence their children grow up spoilt and rude. Parents need to wise up and realise that they have to the power to say no and to turn the television off. " Kerry, Ulverston, Cumbria, UK
"What a load of rubbish. Kids get fat (or do we have to say 'obese' now?) because they eat what their parents buy and feed them on. When are parents going to start taking responsibility for their own children's health?" Dave, Doncaster, UK
On the flip side however, exist parents who support the idea:
"The more television our children watch, the more they are bombarded with advertising directed at senseless consumerist behaviour. These days, it seems that our economy is based on an insatiable appetite for personal luxuries. Where else would children learn this culture besides television?" Joey Di Venosa, Montreal, Canada
"All non-parental types say they will not let their children watch TV when they have them. Have children and then stay home and care for them 24/7. You'll change your mind about TV. Trust me." Kathy, USA
"Why should there be any advertising during children's programming? They shouldn't be viewed as a lucrative consumer market because it is only 'pest power' that turns the advertising into sales. Admittedly parents should be tougher with their kids and teach them that they can't have everything they want, but some parents don't have the strength to do that and they shouldn't be held to ransom by the advertisers." Steve, Reading, England
http://www.hartman-group.com/upcoming-studies/methodology-and-research-scope/8
Healthy Eating Trends 2009
Methodology
The Healthy Eating Trends 2009 syndicated study integrates the strengths of a quantitative nationally representative sample of 1,500 adult primary household shoppers with in-depth qualitative ethnographic consumer immersions across three U.S. markets to provide the most accurate picture to-date on the shifts occurring in food consumption and what it portends for food manufacturing, retailing and marketing in the future.
Study Scope
Areas of investigation include, but are not limited to:
The Hottest Food Shopping Trends
* The most popular channels for fresh food, fresh prepared foods, highest quality foods, convenience and ethnic foods.
* Purchase of healthy foods and beverages by channel (discount superstores, drug, and convenience vs. conventional grocery)
Top Ranked Healthy Ingredient Trends
* Antioxidants
* Calcium
* Cholesterol
* Fat
* Fiber
* Gluten
* HFCS
* Omegas
* Protein
* Salt
* Sugar
* Trans Fat
* Vitamin C
* Vitamin D
* Whole Grain
(add your own ingredient trend for an additional $1,500 — limited to first 5)
Functional Foods & Beverages Benefits Trends
* Cognitive function
* Digestive regularity
* Energy (sustained, immediate, etc.)
* Heart healthy
* Improved mobility
* Immunity boost
* Regular blood sugar
(add your own ingredient trend for an additional $1,500 — limited to first 5)
Eating Away from Home Trends
* Most popular channels for healthy eating away from home
* Sources for healthy on-the-go snacks
* Sources for healthy meals
* Organic on the menu – demand for organic when eating out
Top Ranked Claims Trends
* Artisan
* Local
* Mediterranean Diet
* Minimally processed
* Natural
* No artificial ingredients
* No preservatives
* Organic
* Premium
(add your own claim/marketing message trend for an additional $1,500 – limited to first 5)
Long-Term Healthy Eating Trends
* Relative impact of food quality dimensions in explaining: nutritional benefits, health benefits, freshness, distinctive flavor, real food narrative, etc.
* Brand perception scorecard
* Shifts in breakfast, lunch and dinner mealtime
* Portion sizing
* Snacking
* Special occasion vs. everyday occasion eating (at work, with family and friends, holidays, entertaining, going to movies, etc.)
a calulator for tallying how much calories from chipolte:
The tortillia is 300 cal by itself.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/what-to-eat-instead-fast-food
Just have a cooler in the car and fill it with healthy items for each different memeber of the family: water, chocolate milk, apple slices, pretzals, crackers, fruit, nuts, etc...
Buy convince food at the grocery: canned, bagged, frozen, pre-cut, or pre-washed.
13 meals you can make at home
Little dippers
Speedy side dishes
Frozen to table main dishes
quick chicken dinner
quick baked potato
black bean soup
veggie soup
super salads
Pasta pronto
cook big, freeze small
omelets
cereal
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/fast-food-alternatives?page=3
t's late, your kids are hungry, and you don't have time to cook. Put down the phone and pass up the drive-through. You can rustle up a number of fast-food alternatives in minutes.
Not only can you put together a faster, healthier meal -- with fewer calories and less fat and sodium -- but you can save money, too.
"Americans spend nearly half their food dollars on food prepared away from home, but that only accounts for about 21% of the meals they eat," says Joanne Lichten, PhD, RD, author of How to Stay Healthy & Fit on the Road.
Here are tips to show you how -- whether you're at home or on the road.
Healthy Fast Food: For the Road
When you want an alternative to the fast-food joints calling your name, think cool: an insulated cooler, that is. Then stock it with:
* Water, low-fat milk, or 100% juice. But beware of the calories in drinks other than water, says Lichten.Take that cooled milk and douse it over whole-grain cereals that come in their own single-serve cups. A great snack or part of a meal when you're in transit.
* Low-fat cheese sticks to go with rolls and fruit.
* Tubes or cartons of yogurt.
* Cut veggies or washed baby carrots and cherry tomatoes. Add a container of low-fat dip.
* Sliced bananas, apples, grapes and pears.
Other single portion items for portable feasts include:
* Peanut butter in a tube or a small tub to go with crackers or bread sticks.
* Single-serve cans of tuna with easy-open tops and crackers.
* Cans or cups of fruit packed in their own juice.
* Dehydrated bean soups (get hot water at a roadside rest stop).
"Always have fruit and vegetables along for the ride," Lichten recommends. "They are the foods we miss out on when traveling."
Trail mix made from dried fruits, nuts, seeds, pretzels, or cereal with a few chocolate chips thrown in for good measure makes a satisfying snack, adds Kerry Neville, MS, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
And in a pinch -- when you're on the road with children and didn't plan ahead -- pull into the supermarket instead of the fast-food drive-in. You can pick up fresh fruit, cheese, and bread for a satisfying meal to go.
Healthy Fast Food: At Home
Stock Your Cabinets With Fast, Nutritious Food
Planning helps you pull your own fast-food act together. Get out the calendar and figure out your food needs for the week ahead. Make a quick list. Now it's time to shop. Consider stocking:
* Whole-grain breads and cereals, pasta, and prepared pizza crust.
* Milk, reduced-fat shredded cheese, eggs, canned tuna, canned beans, peanut butter, lean ground beef patties, chicken, and meatballs.
* Fresh, frozen, or no-added-salt canned vegetables; fresh and dried fruit; and fruit canned in juice.
* Quick-cooking grains such as 10-minute brown rice and whole-wheat couscous.
* Cartons of 100% orange juice, milk, applesauce, peanut butter, and yogurt in your fridge and cabinets. These work great for road trips, too.
Just a couple of hours spent cooking main courses one or two weekends a month works wonders for whipping up fast and healthy food on hectic weeknights. Tips to try:
* Let your slow cooker save you time. Throw the ingredients for chili or beef stew in and turn to other activities.
* Roast a chicken or turkey. This frees you up to concentrate on projects around the house, too.
* Put together a pan or two of lasagna.
* Make double batches of anything you cook, and freeze half.
Super Sandwich Suppers
Sandwiches can help you get supper on the table super fast. For tasty fast-food alternatives, try:
* Pre-formed lean beef burger patties or veggie burgers. Serve on whole-grain buns. Pair with cooked frozen carrots and peas; fruit; and milk.
* Barbecue pulled pork served on whole grain buns with corn and fruit on the side.
* Tuna melts with reduced-fat cheese on whole-wheat bread, and salad.
* Quesadillas made with low-fat cheese, fat-free refried beans, and leftover chicken served with a green salad.
Breakfast for Dinner
"Eggs are the basis of several quick and nutritious dinners," Neville says. For example, try:
* Scrambled eggs served in whole-wheat pita pockets with salsa and low-fat grated cheese; salad; milk or 100% juice, such as orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
* Whole-grain French toast, applesauce for dipping, and milk.
* Omelets made with leftover cooked vegetables and served with whole-grain rolls, fruit and milk.
* Hard cook a half dozen eggs. Toss them in salads, or use them for grab-and-go snacks or lunch.
Healthy Fast Food: Half-Way Homemade
Supermarkets can save the day when you want fast food and great nutrition. Think of these quick grab-and-go meals as half-way homemade:
* (Practically) No-Cook Chicken Dinner. Pick up two cooked rotisserie chickens (the extra is for meals to come); precut broccoli florets in the produce section or frozen "steamer" vegetable combos from the freezer case, and crusty whole-grain bread from the bakery department. Serve with canned pineapple or Mandarin oranges.
* The Salad Bar. Let your kids loose on the supermarket salad bar for a great fast-food alternative. Be sure they include a protein source, such as tuna, beans, eggs, cottage cheese, tofu, or cheese; dark leafy greens; and fruit. Keep dressings and toppings to a minimum. Buy whole-grain rolls to serve with the salad at home. You can also pick up shrimp cocktail or sushi, too.
* Fast and Health Stir-Fry. Combine frozen Asian vegetable stir-fry mix, leftover rotisserie chicken, precooked chicken from meat case, tofu, or shrimp and serve over quick-cooking brown rice.
* 20-Minute Pizza. Neville favors whole-wheat Boboli-type crusts, spaghetti sauce or prepared pesto sauce, and part-skim mozzarella cheese and veggies from supermarket salad bars for concocting a quick pizza. You can also use whole-wheat English muffins, tortillas, or pita bread for crust, she says.
* Soup-er Star Main Courses. Start with lower-sodium canned soup and add frozen diced vegetables, cooked macaroni or quick-cooking brown rice, and leftover diced cooked chicken or turkey or beans. Serve with fruit or salad and low-fat milk.
Several soups, such as tomato, lentil, and split pea, double as a serving of vegetables from the food pyramid, Neville notes. Prepare tomato soup with low-fat milk for extra calcium and vitamin D as well as a serving of dairy.
These ideas are just a few healthy alternatives to fast food. Next time you're at the supermarket, shop with an eye toward fast and nutritious and you're bound to come up with great ideas of your own.
Remember, says Neville: "In the time it takes to wait for take-out pizza or Chinese food you could put together a much healthier meal."
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56598
With their ability to provide good-tasting, inexpensive meals in a hurry, fast-food restaurants have changed the eating habits of millions of Americans. Now there's something new on their menus: lower-fat and lower-calorie salads, sandwiches, and desserts that are both tasty and nutritious.
Wendy's has Garden Sensations salads, McDonald's has Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait, Burger King has a Veggie Burger, and Arby's has a Light Menu. Every month seems to bring an announcement of something new. Among the latest: Premium Salads with Newman's Own dressings at McDonald's.
Healthy fast food isn't a new idea. Several chains have long offered salads. McDonald's even introduced a McLean burger in the early 90s, but it didn't catch on. But nutritious fare now seems to be a trend, driven by hopes of greater profits, according to industry observers.
Chains hope that by targeting the growing number of health-conscious consumers -- namely, women -- they can bolster sluggish sales, says market analyst Walter Butkus, a partner in the firm Restaurant Research.
That said, he says that the chains aren't about to change their core menu of burgers and fries, and will continue to focus on their main customer base: men ages 18 to 24.
"They're not so worried about their health," Butkus says of this group. "They want cheaper eats that taste good and that they can get on the go."
But competition for those customers is stiff.
"The fast food business has matured," Butkus tells WebMD. "There's not much growth in sales or additional units, so they're offering add-on products like salads to appeal to women and people a bit older."
But just how healthy are these new offerings, coming from restaurants renowned for juicy burgers and deep-fried potatoes?
Jayne Hurley, a senior nutritionist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest who wrote a recent CSPI report on the best and worst fast foods, was pleased to find some truly healthy fast food. Her top picks are McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait, Burger King's BK Veggie Burger and Chicken Whopper Jr., and Wendy's Garden Sensations salads.
"I never thought you'd find luscious strawberries and blueberries layered with low-fat yogurt and granola at McDonald's"
Here's her analysis of those dishes:
* McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (380 calories, 5 fat grams, just 2 of which are saturated fat). "In my wildest dreams, I never thought you'd find luscious strawberries and blueberries layered with low-fat yogurt and granola at McDonald's," she says. "As opposed to some foods that just have an absence of bad, this has a lot of things that are good for you, and it's delicious as well." She cites the calcium in yogurt, the fiber and nutrients in fruit, and fiber in granola. Order the smaller snack size, and you cut the calories in half.
* Burger King's BK Veggie Burger (330 calories, 13 fat grams, 2 of which are saturated fat). "It's the first time a major burger chain put a meatless sandwich on the menu," she says. "They deserve an enormous amount of credit for taking that step. Personally, I don't think it's the best-tasting veggie burger that's come down the pike, but once you put it between a bun with lettuce, tomato and all the other fixings, it's fine."
* Burger King Chicken Whopper Jr. (370 calories, 23 fat grams, 3 of which are saturated fat). Hurley commends the sandwich for its true grilled flavor but cautions against ordering the full-sized version, which packs 580 calories.
* Wendy's Garden Sensations (calories and fat vary). "Prior to these salads, fast food salads were iceberg lettuce with cheese on top," Hurley says. "Now Wendy's offers a base of dark leafy greens topped with interesting, high-end salad ingredients that make them more tempting."
Hurley also gives high marks to Subway, which, strictly speaking, is in the "quick casual" rather than fast-food restaurant category. She praises Subway for pioneering and promoting healthy, delicious sandwiches with fewer than 6 grams of fat.
Eating out used to be an occasional thing, but today Americans consume about one-third of their total calories in restaurants, says Margo Wootan, DSc, CSPI's nutrition policy director.
"Both adults and children eat about twice as many calories out compared to eating at home," she says. "And they eat more saturated fat, and less calcium, fiber, fruits and vegetables."
She says that healthy fast-food choices often are not obvious, and that consumers need information in order to make good decisions. "One of the policies we're working on is to get the chains -- both (sit-down) restaurants and fast food -- to list calories on their menus or menu boards," she tells WebMD.
Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokesperson, advises limiting visits to fast-food restaurants to a few times a week. "All foods fit, including an occasional burger and fries," she says. "You just can't be living there. Most of the time, try to fill up on salads or grilled chicken." Given the epidemic of obesity among children, Zelman advises parents to request healthy substitutions for kids' meals, like a small salad instead of fries. "You might have to pay a little more, but you don't have to get the standard kid meal," she says.
And by all means, the nutrition experts say, stay away from the chains' "value pricing" promotions, which offer huge portions for a few cents more than regular portions.
"Who doesn't like a bargain?" Hurley asks. "But once it's on your tray, it will probably make it to your mouth."
Future Fare
Of course, this latest healthy fast-food trend could end up going the way of the McLean burger, but industry observers say there are some promising signs.
"Garden Sensations probably accounted for 10 percent of Wendy's sales when it first rolled out early in 2002," Butkus says. "That could have been a honeymoon period, but everybody would like to have an extra 10 percent of sales. If this trend is successful, the chains will roll out more products, promote more chicken products and look for ways to make kids' meals healthier."
And there have been other developments, including:
* In England, McDonald's offers a bag of apples and grapes to customers. The fruit can be purchased separately or substituted for French fries in Happy Meals.
* McDonald's is testing all-white meat Chicken McNuggets.
* Kentucky Fried Chicken will introduce more non-fried products.
* Jack in the Box plans to open an "Innovation Center" in 2004 to develop lighter products to attract more female customers.
* Fast-food chains are paying attention to the appeal of "quick casual" restaurants like Panera Bread, Cosi, and Au Bon Pain, that serve fresh, non-fried foods. Butkus says the fast-food chains might borrow menu ideas.
* CSPI, noting the dangerous increase in obesity among children, is pushing the chains to stop targeting children with ads for unhealthy foods. "We'd like for them to be good corporate citizens," Wootan says, "but if not, we'd like the government to step in and limit the advertising to children of foods that are low in nutrition and high in calories, saturated fat and sugar."
One sure way to know what you're getting at the fast-food counter, nutrition experts say, is to consult the restaurant's nutrition guide. A little knowledge can help you plan your menu selections before you succumb to those yummy-smelling French fries.
These guides, provided by several fast-food chains, contain so much information that they can be daunting. But remember that you don't have to weigh every single value. Zelman advises making choices based on the number of calories and amount of fat. Simply seeing the difference between a Big Mac and a regular hamburger -- 590 vs. 280 calories, and 34 vs. 10 grams of fat -- might tip the scale when you go to place your order. And don't forget, you can ask for nutrition guides at the restaurants you visit, or find them online.
McDonald’s is all over this year’s Olympic games, despite the fact that I guarentee you that no athlete is eating anything from the fast food giant. I have friend’s who are serious athletes nowhere near the level of the Olympians and their diet is so specific it sometimes scares me. Nonetheless, the millions upon millions of folks watching these athletes compete are being told to make their way to the golden arches. It is on that note that we at TakePart give you the Top 5 Organic Fast Food Alternatives.
Because let’s be honest, athlete or no athlete, sometimes we’re in a hurry and we still need to eat. Let me know if I’ve missed any and takepart to learn how you can support a film that is working to explore the ins and outs of organic food.
http://www.takepart.com/blog/2008/08/12/top-5-organic-fast-food-alternatives/
Top 5 fast-food alternatives
1) Whole Foods Organic To Go Meals:
Whole Foods is always a great alternative to greasy burgers and fries. They’ve almost all got amazing salad bars, cold bars, hot bars and even a pizza bar for when you’re feeling naughty. But if you don’t have time to make a salad or wait in a line they also have pre-packaged (in the store, not in a factory) Organic To-Go meals. They’re fresh, yummy and feature a variety of foods to work with whatever craving you may be having.
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2) Organic To-Go
Not to be confused with Whole Foods, Organic To-Go is a new fast food chain that is starting to pop up across the country. They’ve got restaurants in California and both Washington’s (state and DC) and are America’s first fast casual cafĂ© to be USDA certified as an organic retailer. More than that, they’re also a catering service - meaning no more gross sandwiches at your next big work meeting - esp if you’re a vegetarian, I mean does anyone think cold thick not fresh vegetable sandwiches actually taste good?
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3. Gusto Organics
The first USDA certified organic restaurant in New York City, Gusto has meals for everyone - vegans, carnivores, vegetarians and those who can’t do gluten. Just looking at their website makes my mouth water. It may be a little fancier than most fast food but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
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4. Chipotle
Of course not everyone lives in a big city and sometimes you really do need your food in 5 minutes. For you, I recommend Chipotle. The company is the country’s largest restaurant buyer of naturally raised meats and 30 percent of their beans are organic. They’re sour cream is also free of any growth hormones. Not too bad, plus, like another unhealthy fast food giant, you can “have it your way” here and get whatever toppings you choose.
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5. Dunkin Donuts
OK, so I know Dunkin Donuts isn’t an organic place, the reason they’re on my list though is that beyond food the one thing people need quickly and often is coffee. And if you need to stop at a big chain to get some coffee, the place I will always recommend to you is Dunkin Donuts. Back in 2003, before fair trade was hip, Dunkin Donuts starting using fair trade beans in all of their espresso drinks. And that, if you ask me, is pretty damn cool. Plus, let’s be honest, most of us aren’t Olympic athletes, and once in awhile we just need a donut.
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0714-02.htm
Subway: Junk Food, Junk Economy
by Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman
What's the largest fast junk food chain in the country?
Wrong.
It's not McDonald's.
It's Subway.
Subway overtook McDonald's last year in the United States and now has 15,874 locations in the U.S. compared to 11,533 for McDonald's.
Worldwide, Subway has 21,528 restaurants in 75 countries.
McDonald's has more than 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries.
Subway founder Fred DeLuca says he wants 30,000 outlets worldwide by 2010.
Of course, Subway would not want you to think that it is not a fast junk food chain.
In fact, the privately held firm has overtaken McDonald's by riding a wave of publicity featuring Jared Fogle, who says he lost 245 pounds on the following diet - coffee for breakfast, Subway sandwich for lunch, and Subway sandwich for dinner.
Soon, the word was out - you could lose weight eating Subway sandwiches.
And tomorrow, on the National Mall, Subway founder and CEO DeLuca will join with Fogle, the American Heart Association, members of Congress (including the corporate liberal Rose DeLauro, D-Connecticut, whose district contains Subway's corporate headquarters), and various "nutritional experts" to "galvanize support for fighting childhood obesity."
We went and visited our local Subway and found that in fact, there was health and diet information displayed, including a nutritional and dietary guide with the American Heart Association's stamp of approval.
But as at most fast junk food outlets, Coke machines, the rows of bags of chips, and the rubbery chicken and unappetizing beef were screaming - unhealthy, stay away.
You could order a salad, or a vegetarian sandwich. The chain markets seven subs with six grams of fat or less.
But for the most part, the staple of this franchise is processed meats and cheeses, soft drinks and chips.
Subway sandwiches include such classics as Steak and Cheese, Subway Melt (a first class blend of turkey breast, ham, crispy bacon, and melted cheese) Italian BMT (pepperoni, genoa salami, and ham) and the Cold Cut Trio (turkey based ham, salami, and bologna) - not your typical heart healthy sandwiches.
Should members of Congress and the American Heart Association be promoting this multinational junk food company?
Of course they shouldn't.
The American Heart Association has sullied its reputation by getting in bed with whatever corporation comes around with its checkbook open.
According to a report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the American Heart Association has taken big corporate cash from a long list of drug companies, junk food companies, and even from the National Livestock and Meat Board, which gave $189,000 to sponsor a HeartRide cycling series "to help ensure that people don't think that AHA recommends abstaining from meat."
In return for endorsing only Bayer aspirin, AHA gets $500,000 a year from Bayer. Nice deal, if you can cut it.
And how much money has Subway kicked in?
According to the AHA, Subway has given $4 million to the American Heart Association (AHA) since 2002, and will gave an additional $6 million through 2007. That's a total of $10 million.
In exchange, Subway gets to put the AHA "fighting heart disease and stroke" logo on its materials throughout its chain of stores, according to an AHA spokesperson.
In a written statement, the AHA said it will only accept sponsorships from "those restaurants that have a public/market positioning associated with healthy foods or have heart-healthy and non-fried food alternatives on the menu."
"Subway actively promotes low-saturated fat meal options and exercise in their advertising messages," the AHA said in the statement. "Their messaging reinforces that a well-balanced diet and exercise are important tools in maintaining a healthy weight."
We agree with Commercial Alert's Gary Ruskin that it's "not the proper role of the federal government or public health groups to hawk Subway or any other form of fast or junk food."
"This is part of the broader story of the corruption of the American public health movement," Ruskin said. "AHA ought to drop its support for Subway. They have been converted into an auxiliary marketeer for Subway. They are apparently for sale."
"The fast food companies are running in a panic over the obesity epidemic," Ruskin said. "They are striving to do something to make it seem that they are not responsible for it or part of it. This is just one more way that companies like Subway try to hide their tracks and boost their public relation images."
The government and independent public health organizations should be helping the American people fight off the hyperbreeding of fast food outlets cannibalizing the country - not promoting it.
In addition to promoting his beloved Subway and making millions a year doing so, DeLuca wants to bring an Indian gambling casino to Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Call it the junk food/junk economy connection.
According to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, DeLuca invested $10 million in the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation's successful effort to gain federal recognition so they could build a casino in Connecticut. Blumenthal is challenging that recognition.
And the House Government Reform Committee is in the middle of an investigation of how the Schaghticoke Tribe and the Eastern Pequots gained such recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Earlier this year, the Hartford Courant reported that a rival band of Indians charged that the federal recognition of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation "was hijacked by outside investors and high-priced lobbyists intent on winning a lucrative gambling franchise for their own benefit."
Whether or not the investors and lobbyists hijacked the process we'll leave to federal investigators.
But what is clear is that Subway and DeLuca have hijacked the American Heart Association, Congresswoman DeLauro, and various federal agencies to promote their own brand of fast junk food.
http://www.drgourmet.com/health/fastfood/subway.shtml
Includes a chart that shows a list of food items to get from subway
that are under 15 g of fat and 400 cal. Just remember don't eat a foot long for a meal. A foot long is enough for 2 meals, which means you would be paying $2.50 per meal.
http://living.health.com/2009/02/19/americas-healthiest-fast-food-restaurants/
top 10 healthiest fast-food resturants
Panera Bread
Jason's deli
Au Bon Pain
Noodles and company
Corner Bakery
Chipolte
Atlanta Bread
McDonalds
Enistien's bagels
Taco Del Mar
http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/fast_food
Fast Food Waste Threatens our Marine Environment, Drags Down Diversion Rates
America's fast food culture is hurting more than our waist lines. With it's grab-and-go, overly packaged food stuffed with unnecessary condiments, fast food outlets are our country's primary source of urban litter and a significant hurdle to local communities' waste diversion goals.
Litter characterization studies across the country have recognized fast food restaurants as the primary identifiable source of urban litter. The most abundant type of non-cigarette litter is foamed polystyrene ("Styrofoam"). This foamed plastic, a staple of fast food restaurant, becomes a permanent fixture in our environment when littered. Easily travelling through gutters and storm drains, it eventually reaches the ocean. Indeed, plastics from urban runoff is the largest source of marine debris, which in some parts of the ocean is so concentrated that there is six times more plastic than plankton!
Furthermore, fast food restaurants are a drag on local communities' waste diversion rates. Currently, less than 35% of fast food store's waste is diverted from landfills, the vast majority of which is cardboard. Very little food packaging and almost no fast food plastic is currently diverted from landfills. This low diversion rate is surprising considering the vast majority of restaurant waste is not plastic--its main litter culprit--but rather paper, a perfectly recyclable resource. The problem of fast food is not insurmountable. Like many areas of waste generation, a few simple, economical changes in the way the fast food industry handles its waste could change what currently is a major source of unrecyclable, permanent litter to a model for other businesses.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYP/is_16_111/ai_112983133
Some toxic chemicals may appear where consumers least expect them: on fast-food packaging, says Lauren Sucher, communications director of the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) of Washington, D.C. Fluorinated telomers, a type of very small polymer with Teflon-like properties, keep grease from seeping through paper and cardboard packaging such as french fry cartons and pizza boxes. And although the telomers themselves may be innocuous in normal use, they can break down upon ingestion into perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA also is a component in the manufacturing process of fluoropolymers and can be present in trace amounts in fluorinated telomers.
Although the human health effects of PFOA are still unconfirmed, the chemical's ubiquity is cause for concern. Studies submitted in 2001 by the 3M Company (then a PFOA manufacturer) to the government found the chemical in the blood of 96% of 598 children tested in 23 states and the District of Columbia, Sucher says. The EWG is concerned that people could ingest PFOA that transfers from packaging to food, and that as the telomers break down in landfills and other disposal channels, PFOA could enter the environment.
Identifying exactly which products use fluorinated telomers is no simple matter. These telomers aren't regulated, and most packaging doesn't identify their presence. Typically they are applied at paper mills, which supply coated paper to manufacturers that in turn supply packaging to restaurants.
In March 2003, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated a priority review under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The review was based on limited data showing some presence of PFOA in people's blood and studies involving laboratory animals that showed potential developmental and reproductive toxicity, liver toxicity, and cancer. In a 14 April 2003 Federal Register notice, the EPA released a preliminary risk assessment for PFOA and outlined a public process for further developing the assessment.
In July 2003 the EWG asked nine of the country's largest restaurant chains--Burger King, KFC, Krispy Kreme, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell, and Wendy's--to report on the types of chemical coatings used in their products. As of October 2003, none of the chains had responded directly to the EWG But some--such as McDonald's, which does use fluorinated telomers for certain products, and Krispy Kreme, which doesn't, and instead uses clay-based products exclusively--have responded to press inquiries following publicity of the EWG's request.
"A question we have to answer," says EPA public affairs officer David Deegan, "is exactly how people are being exposed to PFOA." Scientists are scrambling to find how the chemical finds its way into the bloodstream. Deegan says it's unknown whether food packaging is actually a source of exposure, and that PFOA hasn't been detected in such wrappings.
But Sucher says there is precedent for perfluorochemicals used in paper products ending up in human blood. The internal monitoring studies done by the 3M Company and reviewed by the EPA show that at least one perfluorochemical metabolite specific to paper protection applications is readily found in people, including 85% of the children tested. Sucher says perfluorochemicals such as PFOA have a half-life of an estimated 4.4 years in the human body.
"We are looking at paper applications as just one of several possible pathways to PFOA exposure [in] the environment," says Michelle Reardon, a spokesperson for DuPont, a current PFOA manufacturer. But, she says, many other pathways are under investigation as well. Fluorinated telomers are also used in the manufacture of fire-fighting foam, leather products, carpeting, garments such as stain-resistant trousers, and many other applications. Sorting out these potential sources and pathways of PFOA exposure is one of the priorities of the EPA's review, Deegan says.
In the meantime, Sucher says, environmental groups hope that companies, especially those in the food business, will move away from products with the potential to spread PFOA. "They have every right to use them," she says. "They are abiding with federal law. On the other hand, as a public health advocacy group, we want them to try to find alternatives."
http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/fast_food_waste.htm
What fast food can do to help the environment
Currently there are no federal laws or regulations in the U.S. specifically aimed at getting fast food chains to reduce, reuse or recycle their waste. Businesses of all kinds must always obey local laws pertaining to what must be recycled versus what can be discarded. And a small number of cities and towns have local laws specifically designed to force businesses to do the right thing, but they are few and far between.
Voluntary Fast Food Waste Reduction Makes Headlines
There have been some strides in the fast food business with regard to packaging materials and waste reduction, but it has all been voluntary and usually under pressure from green groups. McDonald’s made headlines back in 1989 when, at the urging of environmentalists, it switched its hamburger packaging from non-recyclable Styrofoam to recyclable paper wraps and cardboard boxes. The company also replaced its bleached paper carryout bags with unbleached bags and made other green-friendly packaging advances.
Some Fast Food Chains Offer Vague Policies on Waste Reduction
Both McDonald’s and PepsiCo (owner of KFC and Taco Bell) have crafted internal policies to address environmental concerns. PepsiCo states that it encourages “conservation of natural resources, recycling, source reduction and pollution control to ensure cleaner air and water and to reduce landfill wastes,” but does not elaborate on specific actions it takes. McDonald’s makes similar general statements and claims to be “actively pursuing the conversion of used cooking oil into biofuels for transportation vehicles, heating, and other purposes,” and pursuing various in-store paper, cardboard, delivery container and pallet recycling programs in Australia, Sweden, Japan and Britain. In Canada the company claims to be the “largest user of recycled paper in our industry” for trays, boxes, carry out bags and drink holders.
Fast Food Recycling Programs Can Reduce Waste and Save Money
Some smaller fast food chains have garnered accolades for their recycling efforts. Arizona-based eegee’s, for instance, earned an Administrator’s Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for recycling all paper, cardboard and polystyrene across its 21-store chain. Besides the positive attention it has generated, the company’s recycling effort also saves it money in garbage disposal fees every month.
A Few Communities Require Fast Food Waste Recycling
Despite such efforts, though, the fast food industry is still a large generator of waste. Some communities are responding by passing local regulations requiring recycling where applicable. Seattle, Washington, for example, passed an ordinance in 2005 prohibiting businesses (all businesses, not just restaurants) from disposing of recyclable paper or cardboard, though violators only pay a nominal $50 fine.
Taiwan Takes a Hard Line on Fast Food Waste
Perhaps policymakers in the U.S. and elsewhere could take a lead from Taiwan, which since 2004 has required its 600 fast-food restaurants, including McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC, to maintain facilities for proper disposal of recyclables by customers. Diners are obliged to deposit their garbage in four separate containers for leftover food, recyclable paper, regular waste and liquids.
“Customers only have to spend under a minute to finish the trash-classification assignment,” said environmental protection administrator Hau Lung-bin in announcing the program. Restaurants that don’t comply face fines of up to $8,700 (U.S.).
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/531177/cutting_down_on_fast_food_waste.html?cat=58
Cutting Down on Fast Food Waste
The average restaurant produces about 8,200 pounds of waste a month, which is more than 98,000 pounds a year. About 15 percent of that waste is in the form of reusable materials. That means nearly 15,000 pounds of waste per month can be completely eliminated. That's
a staggering amount once you factor in the amount of fast food restaurants that are out there. So what are the best ways to recycle all the waste created by fast food?
Fast food waste comes in several forms. Plastic eating utensils, Styrofoam cups and containers, wrappers and napkins make up the bulk of recyclable material that is tossed into the trash in fast food joints. There's also a lot of waste being generated on the other side of the counter. Packing materials, cleaning products, gas, water and electricity are a few examples.
With the enormous amount of waste produced by fast food restaurants, one would think that there would be a set of laws in place to curb it. Currently, there are no federal laws to mandate the recycling of waste from any restaurant. Any recycling done is purely on a volunteer basis. The cost of recycling food- contaminated waste is steep and many cities simply don't have the resources to accomplish it. Right now, customers have only two options: take the materials home and recycle them or throw them away at the restaurant.
Between the store, the government and the customer, there are a number of ways to recycle fast food. Most of the effort must be from the restaurant itself, however. While many view recycling as inefficient and cost prohibitive, there are enough ways to save money to make it all worthwhile to owners.
The first step is to set up a recycling program for grease, cardboard products, plastic and glass with a local collector. Then put bins in areas of eating establishments where customers can access them easily. Keep in mind that most cities don't currently
accept food-tainted materials, which often makes recycling very expensive for restaurants. Also, put bins and receptacles behind the counter for employees to use. You can't recycle material unless you collect it first. Also, contact local farms and compost facilities about donating or selling food waste. Many fast food places throw out any uneaten food at the end of the day. Instead, edible food can be donated to local shelters.
The best way to cut down on the amount of waste created by restaurant is to reduce the amount available in the restaurant. Businesses can cut down on the amount of packaging they use and use straw dispensers instead of using individually wrapped straws to help reduce paper consumption. Instead of using little plastic packets of ketchup and mustard, restaurants could use condiment dispensers. Restaurants can also give discounts on drink prices if they use their own cup. Changing take-out bags from colored paper to unbleached will help make restaurants a little greener as well. Many people don't pay attention to the tiny little recycle symbol on things like cups and packaging. Clearly labeling these items will help remind folks how to best dispose of them.
There are ways for restaurants to recycle behind the scenes that customers won't even know about. Fast food restaurants can purchase supplies made with post-consumer recycled content. Stop using paper hats and go with reusable ones. Instead of paper towels, use cloth ones for cleaning. Purchase products in bulk and rotate perishable food items to reduce spoilage. Businesses can also use fluorescent lights instead of incandescent ones. Also, installing motion-sensing lights in freezers and restrooms will curb excess waste. Installing water-conserving fixtures will help reduce water consumption. Using a monthly maintenance schedule for appliances and equipment will help them run more efficiently. Eating establishments can also use polypropylene based materials instead of polystyrene. While this doesn't sound like a big deal, it can save countless thousands of barrels of oil per year. Better still; businesses can switch to biodegradable materials like cornstarch for all their cutlery and packaging, reducing waste to almost nothing. Lastly, restaurants can ask their vendors to ship materials in recycled materials.
We've looked at how restaurants and their customers can help recycle fast food, but what about governments? Governments can enact laws and levy fines on establishments that don't toe the line. While there are many local governments that already have laws on the
books regarding recycling, most aren't enforced and those that are often don't carry heavy enough fines to discourage wayward businesses.
Local and federal governments can enact and enforce laws banning businesses from dumping recyclable materials. Even if restaurants start small, by recycling only certain items and educating their customers, it will go a long way to getting folks involved. Officials can also stiffen fines significantly. Typically, only token fines of a few dollars are issued. If these fines were raised, it would encourage fast food restaurants to put more effort into their recycling programs. Governments can also offer subsidies to recycling centers that will take on more difficult materials like food-contaminated items. Monies from fines raised could help pay for those subsidies.
In the end, while most restaurants will claim that recycling is just too costly, it doesn't have to be. Using more energy-efficient equipment will help offset the cost of recycling. Implementing biodegradable materials and selling non-edible foods to local animal farms will go a long way towards cutting the costs of waste removal. Most businesses will find that voluntarily getting a little greener and recycling doesn't cost as much as they think.
http://www.commercialexploitation.org/news/2008/11/fastfoodads.htm
CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- A ban on fast-food advertising to children would cut the national obesity rate by as much as 18%, according to a new study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research and funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The study measured the number of fast-food ads kids watched and found a fast-food TV-ad ban for children's programming would reduce the number of overweight children aged 3 to 11 by 18%, and for adolescents (12- to 18-year-olds) by 14%. Data also revealed a more pronounced effect on males than females.
Extensive data
The National Bureau of Economic Research describes the study as "the largest of its kind to directly tie childhood obesity to fast-food advertising on American television," based on viewing habits of 13,000 children, using data from U.S. Department of Labor research carried out in 1979 and 1997. The study also reports that eliminating tax deductions associated with TV advertising would result in a reduction of childhood obesity, though in smaller numbers.
"We have known for some time that childhood obesity has gripped our culture, but little empirical research has been done that identifies television advertising as a possible cause," Shin-Yi Chou of Lehigh University, one of the study's authors, said in a statement. "Hopefully, this line of research can lead to a serious discussion about the type of policies that can curb America's obesity epidemic."
The other authors of the study, which appears in The Journal of Law and Economics this month, were Inas Rashad of Georgia State University and Michael Grossman of City University of New York Graduate Center. It's important to note that even the study's authors question the practicality of so much governmental interference in advertising.
"What it all comes down to is the choices parents make for their kids," said Ellen Davis, a spokeswoman for the National Council of Chain Restaurants, which represents the industry. "Parents choose what their children eat and where their children eat. We all know that children have strong opinions, but parents make the choices."
Cause and effect
Amandine Garde, a law lecturer at the University of Exeter who focuses on legal issues surrounding ad bans, said the biggest hurdle to instituting limitations on messaging to children has been proving the relationship between ads and weight. "Now we're seeing the issue being addressed, the causal relationship, which was denied by the food industry for many, many years," she said. "If you have a causal relationship, it makes the case even stronger that there is a need for regulation."
Sweden and Norway instituted bans on all ads to children in the early 1990s, but the legislation sought to avoid exploitation rather than prevent obesity. Quebec has banned food advertising to children during programs geared toward kids, and the Canadian province has shown lower childhood obesity rates than surrounding areas, although there may be a variety of contributing factors.
Voluntary efforts under way
The industry, of course, has been taking steps on its own, hoping to avoid a ban. Major food-industry players, including McDonald's, Burger King, Kraft and Kellogg, have signed on to the Council of Better Business Bureaus' Childrens' Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. As part of the voluntary program, participants have agreed to devote 50% of advertising dollars geared at children under 12 to messages that promote healthier dietary choices or more-active lifestyles. Healthful-product messages must be consistent with USDA and FDA standards.
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/saabira-chaudhuri/itinerant-mind/fast-food-ads-make-fat-children
ads=fat children
fat children=fat america
A causal relationship between fast food ads on TV and obesity rates in children has been established. This according to a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which revealed that a fast food TV ban for children's programming would reduce obesity rates by 14-18%, with effects being more pronounced for males and younger children.
According to Adage, the National Bureau of Economic Research has described the study as "the largest of its kind to directly tie childhood obesity to fast-food advertising on American television."
"Hopefully, this line of research can lead to a serious discussion about the type of policies that can curb America's obesity epidemic," stated Shin-Yi Chou, one of the study's authors.
The big question of course is whether government intervention should go quite so far as to ban fast food advertising for children's programs, or whether the onus should be on parents. The BBC ran a poll on the issue in 2004 – while the conversation was sharply divided, the majority seemed to think parents, and not advertising, are to blame. Here's a snapshot from the poll of how parents see the issue:
"Anyone who blames TV for their children's' dietary related health problems is just looking for an excuse to shift responsibility away from themselves for their failure to exercise parental control. All the government reviews of advertising in the world won't fix that." Mark, USA
"Personally I think those who want adverts banned are the ones whose children pester them into submission. Banning these adverts would make their lives 'easier' - no pestering children to contend with. Parents appear to be getting lazier and as a consequence their children grow up spoilt and rude. Parents need to wise up and realise that they have to the power to say no and to turn the television off. " Kerry, Ulverston, Cumbria, UK
"What a load of rubbish. Kids get fat (or do we have to say 'obese' now?) because they eat what their parents buy and feed them on. When are parents going to start taking responsibility for their own children's health?" Dave, Doncaster, UK
On the flip side however, exist parents who support the idea:
"The more television our children watch, the more they are bombarded with advertising directed at senseless consumerist behaviour. These days, it seems that our economy is based on an insatiable appetite for personal luxuries. Where else would children learn this culture besides television?" Joey Di Venosa, Montreal, Canada
"All non-parental types say they will not let their children watch TV when they have them. Have children and then stay home and care for them 24/7. You'll change your mind about TV. Trust me." Kathy, USA
"Why should there be any advertising during children's programming? They shouldn't be viewed as a lucrative consumer market because it is only 'pest power' that turns the advertising into sales. Admittedly parents should be tougher with their kids and teach them that they can't have everything they want, but some parents don't have the strength to do that and they shouldn't be held to ransom by the advertisers." Steve, Reading, England
http://www.hartman-group.com/upcoming-studies/methodology-and-research-scope/8
Healthy Eating Trends 2009
Methodology
The Healthy Eating Trends 2009 syndicated study integrates the strengths of a quantitative nationally representative sample of 1,500 adult primary household shoppers with in-depth qualitative ethnographic consumer immersions across three U.S. markets to provide the most accurate picture to-date on the shifts occurring in food consumption and what it portends for food manufacturing, retailing and marketing in the future.
Study Scope
Areas of investigation include, but are not limited to:
The Hottest Food Shopping Trends
* The most popular channels for fresh food, fresh prepared foods, highest quality foods, convenience and ethnic foods.
* Purchase of healthy foods and beverages by channel (discount superstores, drug, and convenience vs. conventional grocery)
Top Ranked Healthy Ingredient Trends
* Antioxidants
* Calcium
* Cholesterol
* Fat
* Fiber
* Gluten
* HFCS
* Omegas
* Protein
* Salt
* Sugar
* Trans Fat
* Vitamin C
* Vitamin D
* Whole Grain
(add your own ingredient trend for an additional $1,500 — limited to first 5)
Functional Foods & Beverages Benefits Trends
* Cognitive function
* Digestive regularity
* Energy (sustained, immediate, etc.)
* Heart healthy
* Improved mobility
* Immunity boost
* Regular blood sugar
(add your own ingredient trend for an additional $1,500 — limited to first 5)
Eating Away from Home Trends
* Most popular channels for healthy eating away from home
* Sources for healthy on-the-go snacks
* Sources for healthy meals
* Organic on the menu – demand for organic when eating out
Top Ranked Claims Trends
* Artisan
* Local
* Mediterranean Diet
* Minimally processed
* Natural
* No artificial ingredients
* No preservatives
* Organic
* Premium
(add your own claim/marketing message trend for an additional $1,500 – limited to first 5)
Long-Term Healthy Eating Trends
* Relative impact of food quality dimensions in explaining: nutritional benefits, health benefits, freshness, distinctive flavor, real food narrative, etc.
* Brand perception scorecard
* Shifts in breakfast, lunch and dinner mealtime
* Portion sizing
* Snacking
* Special occasion vs. everyday occasion eating (at work, with family and friends, holidays, entertaining, going to movies, etc.)
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