Posted on 09/15/2011 4:25:43 AM PDT by tobyhill
Encouraged by Michelle Obama's campaign to reduce childhood obesity, the company that owns the Olive Garden, Red Lobster and four other popular restaurant chains is pledging to cut the calories and sodium in its meals and overhaul its kids' fare.
Darden Restaurants Inc. was unveiling the changes Thursday, with the first lady on hand to lend support.
The company will pledge to reduce the calories and sodium in all its meals by 10 percent over five years, and by 20 percent over 10 years. For children, French fries and sugar-sweetened beverages will become the exception and not the rule.
All kids' meals will automatically come with a side of fruit or vegetables and eight ounces of 1 percent milk unless an adult requests a substitute, Drew Madsen, president and chief operating officer of Orlando, Fla.-based Darden, told The Associated Press.
"We think it's the most comprehensive health and wellness commitment in the industry," he said.
Darden's restaurants serve more than 400 million meals annually at more than 1,900 locations nationwide. Its four other restaurant chains are LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52. The Capital Grille and Seasons 52 do not have children's menus.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
#9 ... ding!
I wonder if I should report myself to attackwatch.com
I hope they keep this nonsense up, 1984 is upon us.
rather than forcing restaurants to serve smaller portions, maybe parents could control portions on their own.
when i take my daughters out, they usually either split a kids meal, or get their own and take half of it home.
their mom will take them out and the three of them can share one adult meal, and have some left.
it’s not the food, it’s the american tradition that you need to finish everything on your plate.
Since I am trying to lose some weight ... I never eat the entire portion at restaurants, I cut everything in half and get a take-out container. I'm savvy enough and heave the self-control to be able to do this all on my own, I don't need "mommy Michelle" to tell me what I can and can't eat.
Lemme see, they are taking the “frog in the water approach so no one will notice” to lessening their menu offerings, rather than the Burger King, “Hey, let’s screw up our fries and make them taste like cardboard RIGHT NOW!” approach.
“Yer scarin’ th’ livestock, Moochelle!”
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1945,145184-237196,00.html
There ya go...no need to go to Red Lobster any more. Olive Garden sucks anyway and Texas Land and Cattle is sooo much better than Longhorn.
Out of the list of places who just bowed to the belted wookie, red lobster is the only one I’ve visited in the past year. The lobster topped mashed potatoes were without the actual lobster.
Which brings me to: http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/eatingout/eating_r/red-lobster-lobster-bisque.htm
Lobster bisque at home is loads better and cheaper and seasoned to your liking. Yes, it takes some work, and some clean up, but it’s worth it.
My husband's first and only meal at Olive Garden was horrible, so we've never gone back.
Darden restaurants is making a big mistake, imho.
She should start with her fat rump and chunky legs . . . what a hypocrite . . . don't they have mirrors in the White House or are they all being used by Obambi?
Just submitted to investor relations
Before deciding to decrease the calories and salt you might want to ask the customers if they want less food and less flavor for the same or increased prices.
Getting on board the politicaly correct band wagon is going to cost you customers and profits. My family of six will never visit anything remotely supportive of the democrat party or it’s policies. We will go to Carabas , Fish Daddy’s or any number of non politically motivated restaurants.
Just submitted to investor relations
Before deciding to decrease the calories and salt you might want to ask the customers if they want less food and less flavor for the same or increased prices.
Getting on board the politicaly correct band wagon is going to cost you customers and profits. My family of six will never visit anything remotely supportive of the democrat party or it’s policies. We will go to Carabas , Fish Daddy’s or any number of non politically motivated restaurants.
Four restaurants that are now off my list of places to dine
That ass should have its own area code.
If the food stamp crowd gets to use food stamps at restaurants, the new problem added to the old one will begin.
The food stamp recipients will be blowing through the food stamps in record time.
That is when the bitchin’ and whinin’ will begin. They will be demanding increases in benefits because it “tain’t enuff”.
I am sure restaurants and the Chambers of Commerce like the idea because so many of the unemployed and new Obama made povery stricken aren’t eating out as much.
Food stamps should be enough to keep people alive. That isn’t what they have become. People who have to pay for their own food are eating gruel, people on food stamps are buying crab legs and eating out.
I will not eat at these places anymore...ditto for Olive Garden and Red Lobster.
I’m assuming that prices will stay the same for the smaller portions.
Didn’t MO start monitoring childrens weight in schools?It’s a parents and childs RIGHT to chose their food.
Will they reduce the holes on the salt shakers on the tables by the same percentages?
It will encourage exercising the arms.....:>)
My kids can’t stand 2%, 1%, skim, low-fat, no-fat, whatever milk.
If it’s not whole milk - it doesn’t get bought, or drank, in my household.
And as far as the “Darden restaurants”, well, I haven’t been to any of them in years. Red Lobster was the last one I went to, and I think it was 2 years ago for Mother’s Day.
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