Enjoying a meal out at a restaurant can be a fun and enjoyable way for families to spend time together.
Now the B.C. restaurant industry is partnering with the provincial government to provide restaurant customers with the information they need to make the healthy choice the easy choice.
The $1.9-million Healthy Families BC - Informed Dining program will give customers the information they need to make healthier choices when eating out. Participating restaurants will add the Informed Dining program logo and a statement on their menu or menu board, letting customers know that nutrition information for all standard menu items is available upon request. Restaurants will provide nutrition information (similar to what is currently found on packaged foods) before or at the point of ordering in the restaurant. Information may be provided on a brochure, a menu insert or poster.
Calorie and sodium content will be highlighted, and restaurants must also include information on daily sodium and calorie requirements. Customers will then be able to make informed choices when choosing meals for themselves or their children.
The Informed Dining program is a component of the Province's Healthy Families BC (www.HealthyFamiliesBC.ca) campaign to reduce obesity and prevent chronic disease. It has been developed in collaboration with the Canadian Restaurant and Food Services Association, the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC and Yukon, chain and independent restaurant leaders and public health partners. Although voluntary for private retail food services, the program will be mandated in food service establishments in health-care facilities.
"Knowledge is power. By providing nutrition information - especially calorie and sodium information - in restaurants, we are able to help make the healthy choice the easy choice for British Columbians and their families," said Minister of Health Michael de Jong in a news release in launching the initiative Aug. 10.
-Submitted
