The climate was right for this kind of thinking and an explosion of grilled vegetables, rustic breads, baby lettuces and organic wines began to slowly infiltrate our tastes, first through the chefs and restaurants, then through the supermarket. She has taken the next step in her grassroots campaign to bring sensible eating to Americans by starting with our decision makers on Capitol Hill and in business. She has now fed the President (twice), created an Edible Schoolyard garden project, spurred the USDA's new guidelines for school lunch programs, persuaded American Airlines to use organic carrots, and has just launched the Chez Panisse Foundation, dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture.
We toast to Ms. Water's unflagging commitment to the principles she first shared with us a quarter century ago—A Votre Sante!
You used to eat this all the time and never realized it was low-fat. Does this make it more appealing? What has changed—the dish itself or just the menu? Well, between now and May, 1997, restaurants will be making lots of changes along these lines. The FDA's recent nutritional information law requires restaurants to substantiate their health-related claims. Reliable nutrition data must be provided to consumers either upon request or on the menu. Complete nutrition, such as that used on packaged goods indicating daily diet requirements, is not necessary, but calculations from a recognized dietary group or database must be available.
We wonder if more restaurants will start promoting certain dishes as low-fat now. The national trend indicates that consumers want less fat, but low-fat also carries a no-taste stigma. From a restaurant's point of view, these new requirements can be costly. Unlike the chains and franchises, a small restaurant wishing to emphasize healthier foods will have to spend a larger proportion of their budget to do so.
On the other hand, many people on low-cholesterol, salt-free or other diets rely on accurate health-claims—for them it really is a matter of life and death. The new requirements are not issued for every item on a menu, only those promoted as having health-benefits. But according to Nation's Restaurant News (8/12/96), a spokesperson for the National Restaurant Association pointed out that while a chef may be given a recipe, but that doesn't mean he's actually going to make it that way. (A little more butter here, a dash of salt there...)
Whether you are in food service or are a consumer, send us your thoughts on these new menu rules amended to the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990. To order a copy of Volume II of the FDA's "Food Labeling Questions & Answers—a Guide for Restaurants and Other Retail Establishments" call 202/512-1800.