Study Finds Subway Just as Unhealthy as McDonald’s

Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles found that despite claims to the contrary, Subway is just as unhealthy as the oft-reviled golden arches of McDonald’s—which long had the most locations in the country of any fast-food chain until Subway surpassed it in 2011.

Young people consumed an average of 1,038 calories at McDonald’s. They consumed an average of 955 calories at Subway—a statistically insignificant difference from McDonald’s. The Institute of Medicine recommends that students consume no more than 850 calories in school lunches.

Chipotle Makes Tofu Available At More Locations

The tofu dish is called “sofritas.”  It was first rolled out in Northern California, and now it hits Southern California Chipotle menus June 3. The name comes from sofrito, the Spanish word for the combination of aromatic ingredients that have been cut into small pieces, such as onion, garlic and peppers. 

The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food

Fascinating article focusing on the making and marketing of highly-processed foods…

“As a culture, we’ve become upset by the tobacco companies advertising to children, but we sit idly by while the food companies do the very same thing. And we could make a claim that the toll taken on the public health by a poor diet rivals that taken by tobacco.”

McDonald's To Open Its First Vegetarian Restaurant In India

The world’s second-biggest restaurant chain after Subway tailors its menus to suit local tastes, which in India means no beef to avoid offending Hindus and no pork to cater for Muslim requirements.

The first vegetarian outlet will open its doors mid-next year near the Golden Temple in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in northern India where religious authorities forbid consumption of meat at the shrine.

Whole Foods Market Donating 57 Salad Bars To NYC Public Schools

Whole Foods Market is ensuring kids eat and stay healthy at school by donating 57 salad bars to New York City public schools, New York City’s Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s website announced.

Today, while at the opening of the new Whole Foods at East 57th Street, the popular all-natural grocery store announced it wants school children to have healthy options. So, they will provide over $300,000 worth of fruits and veggies throughout five boroughs.

Food Industry Ditches Trans Fats, Kids' Cholesterol Levels Drop

A study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association found a 28 percent drop in the prevalence of elevated total cholesterol among kids since the 1988-94 period, the heyday of trans fats.

So what spurred Big Food to ditch trans fats? The answer is pretty simple. In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration began requiring nutrition labels on foods to include amounts of added trans fats. Once forced to come clean about its use of trans fats, Big Food suddenly lost its appetite for using the heart-ruining product.

Americans Toss Out As Much As 40% Of Their Food, Study Says

Americans are throwing out nearly every other bite of food, wasting up to 40% of the country’s supply each year – a mass of uneaten provisions worth $165 billion, according to a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Food waste is the largest single portion of solid waste cramming American landfills. Since the 1970s, the amount of uneaten fare that is dumped has jumped 50%. The average American trashes 10 times as much food as a consumer in Southeast Asia.

Such profligacy is especially unwarranted in a time of record drought, high food prices expected to get higher and families unable to afford food, according to the council. Efforts are already in place in Europe to cut back on food waste.

80 Percent Of Public Schools Have Contracts With Coke Or Pepsi

Starting in the early 1990s, cash-strapped public schools began selling exclusive “pouring rights” to one or another Big Soda company, which would then supply all the beverages sold in on-site snack bars, stores, and soda machines as well as at sports events. Along with sugary drinks, of course, the companies also stuffed the schools with plenty of advertisements.

School Junk Food Laws May Curb Kids' Obesity

Children in the study gained less weight from fifth through eighth grades if they lived in states with strong, consistent laws versus no laws governing snacks available in schools.  Also, children who were overweight or obese in fifth grade were more likely to reach a healthy weight by eighth grade if they lived in states with the strongest laws.

'Vegetarian' Councilman Redman Eats Chicken To Support Chick-Fil-A

Jacksonville, Florida City Councilman Don Redman, a 35-year vegetarian, ate two chicken-based meals last week at his local Chik-Fil-A franchise in support of chain owner Dan Cathy’s remarks against same-sex marriage.  Redman is known for other gaffes such as attempting to officially move Halloween celebrations when October 31st fell on a Sunday, and publicly questioning the gender identity of an out lesbian attorney and harassment victim.