by Amanda MacMillan
Looking for healthy-food options in an unfamiliar neighborhood? Just log on to GoodFoodNearYou.com (or use your iPhone or BlackBerry to access the free downloadable application) and enter your address or ZIP code: Up pops a list of restaurants and food vendors in your area, with suggestions for smart menu choices at each location.
This nifty tool is still in its infancy, and it’s certainly not perfect yet: So far most of the restaurants in their database are fast-food and casual-dining chains, so no matter where you are you’re likely to get a list that includes Dunkin’ Donuts, Burger King, and Ruby Tuesday. And while many of the “healthiest choices” are salads or low-fat entrées, some are a little odd: At 7-Eleven—the nearest establishment to my home in Brooklyn—the Web site suggests I try a 1/3-pound Biggest Bite hot dog with 45g fat, 480 calories, and 3g carbs. (Considering the limited selection of prepared foods offered at 7-Eleven, though, I guess that’s not too bad.)
The next version of GoodFoodNearYou, the company assures me, will include more mom-and-pop places and individual restaurants, and eventually they hope to roll out technology that allows any restaurant to add its own coordinates and nutritional information to the database. For now, it’s helpful at least to find out some of the stats for popular chains near you, since many of them aren’t yet sharing calorie counts on their menus—and it may help you decide on where to eat your next meal.
GoodFoodNearYou was created by Global Fitness Media, a Los Angeles–based company founded by fitness pioneer Jake Steinfeld, CEO of Body by Jake Global and chairman of the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness. Global Fitness Media is also launching an exercise-and-healthy-eating Web site complete with online personal trainers, called FitPlanet, this spring.
Related Links: (Please search)
America’s Healthiest Chain Restaurants
Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants
How to Eat Out Without Gaining a Pound
More iPhone Apps for Healthy Living and Eating
Last Updated: March 6, 2009
Filed Under: Dining Out
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