HEALTHY DINING today joined the National Restaurant Association (NRA) in celebrating the one-year anniversary of the groundbreaking Kids LiveWell initiative. The celebration also marks the additional milestone of the program reaching more than 100 restaurant brands participating in the innovative, voluntary nutrition program that promotes dietitian-approved menu choices for America’s youngest diners and families.
“What an amazing year it has been for Kids LiveWell. We are gratified by the success of the program and applaud the participating restaurants’ commitment and their chefs’ innovations in developing creative menu options that appeal to the youngest diners’ taste buds, while maintaining sound nutrition,” said Anita Jones-Mueller, MPH, President and Founder of HEALTHY DINING. “Now families of all ages, from grandparents to parents to teens to toddlers, have even more choices to choose from on HealthyDiningFinder.com.”
“Kids LiveWell continues to build momentum and expand into new venues in every state across the country,” said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “The industry’s positive response to customer demand is exciting to watch, and we look forward to what the next year will bring.”
As part of its joint collaboration with the NRA on this first-of-its-kind initiative, Healthy Dining provides its expertise and resources, including HEALTHY DINING’s team of registered dietitians, who identify and validate qualifying Kids LiveWell menu choices that feature fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy. These qualifying kids’ meal options and the respective restaurants are then prominently featured on HealthyDiningFinder.com, the premier and award-winning restaurant search engine for reliable nutrition information, smart eating tips, healthy recipes and much more.
Jones-Mueller noted that the growth and success of the Kids LiveWell program is a reflection of the restaurant industry’s response to customers requesting more offerings of healthful options for kids, as well as adults. HealthyDiningFinder.com, which features the expanding list of Kids LiveWell qualifying menu items, has also witnessed a significant growth in its overall database of HEALTHY DINING-approved restaurants and menu options that can accommodate other dietary preferences, such as heart-healthy, diabetes-friendly and general reduction in fat, calories and sodium.
For more details on Kids LiveWell and other HEALTHY DINING information and resources, visit HealthyDiningFinder.com, or follow HEALTHY DINING on Facebook and Twitter.
Since 1990, HEALTHY DINING’s culinary nutrition experts have been guiding and inspiring chefs and restaurateurs to create and serve a selection of HEALTHY DINING menu options. A leader in restaurant nutrition, the company works with hundreds of restaurants and has analyzed thousands of menu items for nutrient content. In collaboration with the National Restaurant Association, HEALTHY DINING leads the largest-ever restaurant industry nutrition initiative. Through HealthyDiningFinder.com, the only resource of its kind, Americans can find dietitian-approved, HEALTHY DINING menu options and view corresponding nutrient information (calories, fat, etc.) for restaurants that span fast food to fine dining, coast to coast. The site is promoted to the growing segment of health- and weight-conscious consumers through employers, health organizations, health insurance companies, weight control programs, fitness centers, the media, and much more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided partial funding for the development of theHealthyDiningFinder.com e-health tool.
