Recipe for Life .Biz

Wonder how healthcare reform and reform policy will influence dining out? I am not a fan of chains, but there are many folks that run out for lunch or dinner at a chain restaurant and here is an excerpt from a New York Times article explaining the reform policy. From reading the article, it appears that my business of teaching people to lead healthier lives through my Recipe for Life workplace health and wellness program can save money for companies willing to invest in their employees. We should have all been taught at a young age that eating the right foods will directly affect how productive we are and how mentally alert we are. Food is a huge factor in our overall well-being. So read below for the real skinny on how a healthcare reform policy may influence your choices when dining out.  Chef motivational speaker Debbie Gore addressses this in the Recipe for Life breakout sessions and presentations.  

Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said the measures, taken together, had immense potential to “save lives and to save money.”

Under the health care law, chain restaurants with 20 or more locations will have to provide a calorie count for each standard menu item. The data must be displayed on the menu “in a clear and conspicuous manner.” Salad bars and buffets can satisfy the requirement by placing signs next to food items.

To customers who request more information, chain restaurants must provide brochures listing the amount of fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates and protein in menu items.

Recipe for Life

Margo G. Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science and Public Interest, a research and advocacy group, said consumers appeared to be choosing lower-calorie foods as a result of calorie-posting laws and regulations adopted in New York City and several other places. Equally important, she said, some restaurants have changed their menu offerings, shrinking portion sizes, reducing the fat in pastries or substituting low-fat milk for cream.

Cathy Nonas, director of physical activity and nutrition at the New York City Health Department, said consumers experienced “tremendous sticker shock” when they saw how many calories were in the food they were eating. “About 15 percent of people who come in to chain restaurants say the calorie information makes a difference in their purchasing decisions,” Ms. Nonas said.

The new law also allows employers to give stronger incentives to employees who participate in programs to lose weight, stop smoking or improve their health in other ways. Employers can offer rewards equal to 30 percent of the cost of coverage — up from 20 percent under prior law — to employees who participate in such programs. “This is exciting,” said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, which represents 300 large employers.

“It puts the emphasis on health improvement, not just paying for illness and injuries.”

To read the entire article from the New York Times http://nyti.ms/cavWb0