No. You do not want to watch this video. Just promise the New York City Department of Health people that you won’t drink sugary soda so much. Then we’ll all be healthier, happier people, and nobody has to watch this video. (Video is embedded below.) [More]
Meet Burgerville's Awesome New Nutritional Info Receipt
By October 15, 2009
We love the idea of Northwestern chain Burgerville’s new receipts that feature nutritional information—not just calorie counts, but also the amount of fiber, fat, and carbohydrates in each item of your order, as well as the order as a whole. Now, here’s one of the receipts as spotted out in the wild.
Cut Back On Sugar, Says American Heart Association
By August 25, 2009
The American Heart Association says we’re eating way too much extra sugar, meaning sugar that doesn’t naturally occur in our foods. The average American consumes 22 teaspoons a day. By contrast, the average woman should eat no more than 6 teaspoons daily, while the average man, owing most likely to his increased awesomeness, should eat no more than 9 teaspoons a day. [Eats another teaspoon of sugar before resuming typing.]
Burgerville Chain Adds Calorie Counts To Receipts
By August 22, 2009
We’ve heard about fast food restaurants posting calorie counts on menus, but a small regional chain in the Northwest is experimenting with putting nutritional information on receipts.
By August 4, 2009
Hey, kids! Get up off the couch, go outside, and maybe drink a glass of milk once in a while. A study published in the scientific journal Pediatrics shows that 70% of children studied had “insufficient” Vitamin D levels, or an outright deficiency. [Consumer Reports Health] [Pediatrics]
Subway Worker Wonders Why You Would Eat Their "Disgusting" Food
By July 26, 2009
John visited his local Rhode Island Subway every weekday for the past two months to enjoy what he thought was a healthy lunch. That all came to end after he overheard a Subway worker say to her colleague: “I don’t know how anybody could eat this stuff everyday. It’s disgusting and it will make you fat.”
Scientists Agree: Denny's Is Dangerous
By July 25, 2009
Denny’s entrees are loaded with dangerous amounts of salt, according to a class action suit filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The CDC recommends consuming no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium each day, but some Denny’s entrees contain a whopping 5,500 milligrams.
By July 22, 2009
Here are 10 kids’ food items that are not very healthy, including Goldfish Crackers, Fruit By The Foot, and Sunny Delight. [Time]
CA's Menu-Labeling Law Inspires Restaurants To Cut Calories
By July 15, 2009
California’s law requiring that chain restaurants post calorie counts for their foods took effect earlier this month. It’s already producing results, as two chains, Macaroni Grill and Denny’s, are reexamining and revising their offerings.
How Healthy Is This Juice? Depends If You Speak English Or Spanish
By July 12, 2009
Orchida Coconut Juice displays nutrition data in both English and Spanish, but the values aren’t the same. The English nutrition panels claims that the juice has 240 calories and no fat. Apparently, our Spanish-speaking friends are supposed to read that as 150 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. Pictures of the strange panels, inside…
Treat Your Pet's Arthritis With Lead
By July 10, 2009
People love their pets and want the best for them. That includes medical treatment, and loving, well-meaning pet owners buy over-the-counter supplements for their critters’ aching joints. Unfortunately, nutritional supplements for humans don’t get a lot of scrutiny, and those intended for pets get even less. A study by ConsumerLab.com discovered that arthritis supplements for dogs, cats, and horses not only didn’t contain the quantity of active ingredients promised, but also contained…other things.
100% All Natural Plumped Chickens Are Stuffed With Water And Salt
By June 29, 2009
Do you like overpaying for salt and water? Then “100% All Natural” chicken breasts might be for you! Just look for the labels that boast “enhanced with up to 15% chicken broth,” and you can be sure you’re overpaying for the saltiest, most water-logged chicken that industrial food processors can design. So how does all that chicken water get into the chickens, you ask? Hit the jump for the delightfully graphic description…
Scientists see no dietary benefit to replacing corn syrup with sugar
By June 25, 2009
While grocery store brands increasingly swap out corn syrup for sugar-and trumpet the fact-little evidence suggests any health benefit for consumers. Corn syrup has been demonized because it’s highly processed and environmentally unfriendly. But sugar ain’t much better.
National Menu Labeling Law Moves Closer To Reality
By June 12, 2009
As states continue to adopt laws requiring chain restaurants to include nutritional information on menus, Congress has been considering proposals for a national menu-labeling law. This week, members of Congress, the restaurant industry, and consumer groups reached agreement on a proposal that they hope to introduce this summer.
Kellogg Will Start Adding Fiber To Most Of Its Breakfast Cereals
By June 4, 2009
Kellogg has announced that it’s going to start adding fiber to about 80% of its cereal product line, beginning with Froot Loops and Apple Jacks in August and continuing into other brands through the end of 2010. The goal is to bump up the fiber per serving to 3 grams, which is the amount the government requires to label a food a good source of fiber for kids.
Oregon Set To Require Menu Labeling For Chain Restaurants
By June 2, 2009
Oregon has passed legislation requiring that chain restaurants post calorie information on menus. Oregon’s governor is expected to sign the bill.
Red Lobster Finally Makes Nutritional Info Available
By May 8, 2009
Last May, we reviewed which fast food and chain restaurant websites were sharing nutritional information with customers and which ones weren’t. Red Lobster has always been stingy about nutritional info, so we’re happy to report that they’ve finally changed their ways and now offer an online and downloadable nutrition guide. The only thing we can’t figure out is how their “1 1/4 lb” steamed lobster is only 45 calories—that works out to about 1.5 ounces of actual lobster. (Thanks to zlionsfan!)
The Truth Behind Healthy Supermarket Foods
By May 6, 2009
The Wall Street Journal takes a good look at items marketed as “healthier for you” on supermarket shelves, and as you can probably imagine, any actual health benefits vary greatly from product to product. Take all natural chicken, for example: if you buy “enhanced” or “plumped” chicken—it will say somewhere on the label that water, salt, and/or carrageenan has been added, but it will still be labeled natural—the sodium per 4 oz serving jumps from 45-60 mgs to 200-400 mgs.
