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R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s S u n d a y, M a y 1 7 , 2 0 1 5 5 0 DIETITIANS URGE AMERICANS TO BITE INTO HEALTHY LIFESTYLE There is no one food, drink, pill or machine that is the key to achieving opti- mal health. A person's overall daily rou- tine is what is most important. That is why, as part of National Nutrition Month ® 2015, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics urged everyone to "Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle" in March. Each March, the Academy encour- ages Americans to return to the basics of healthful eating through National Nutrition Month. This year's theme encouraged consumers to adopt a healthy lifestyle focused on consuming fewer calories, making informed food choices and getting daily exercise in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote overall health. "A healthy lifestyle – one based on regular physical activity and an eating pattern chosen to meet individual nutri- ent needs within calorie limits – is vital to maintaining good health and quality of life," said Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Academy President Sonja Connor. "This year's 'Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle' theme gives con- sumers an easy reminder that achieving optimal health is not about a specific food or time or year, but rather a lifelong commitment that leaves plenty of time for the foods and activities we love." The Academy strives to communi- cate healthful eating messages that emphasize balancing food and beverages within an individual's energy needs, rather than focusing on any one specific food or meal. To this end, it is the Academy's position that improving over- all health requires a lifelong commitment to healthful lifestyle behaviors, empha- sizing sustainable and enjoyable eating practices and daily physical activity. "The key is determining the lifestyle balance that provides the body what it needs, while still allowing room for the foods and activities we enjoy most," Connor said. "This is where the expertise of registered dietitian nutritionists plays such a key role. RDNs work with con- sumers to find balance and create sus- tainable eating and physical activity plans that fit their tastes and routines." Initiated in 1973 as a week-long event, "National Nutrition Week" became a month-long observance in 1980 in response to growing public interest in nutrition. To commemorate the dedication of registered dietitian nutritionists as the leading advocates for advancing the nutri- tional status of Americans and people around the world, the second Wednesday of each March is celebrated as "Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day." This year Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day was celebrated on March 11. As part of this public education cam- paign, the Academy's National Nutrition Month website includes a variety of help- ful tips, games, promotional tools and educational resources, all designed to spread the message of good nutrition based on the "Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle" theme. All registered dietitians are nutri- tionists – but not all nutritionists are reg- istered dietitians. The Academy's Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration have determined that those who hold the credential registered dieti- tian (RD) may optionally use "registered dietitian nutritionist" (RDN) instead. The two credentials have identical meanings. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world's largest organiza- tion of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org. ORGANIC FOOD INGREDIENT MANUFACTURER NUTRIFUSION ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH BEYOND MEAT NutriFusion ® , a provider of natural nutri- tion and phytonutrient products for food manufacturers, today announced an agreement with Beyond Meat ® , a devel- oper of plant-based products that repli- cate the texture and taste of meat. Beyond Meat is incorporating NutriFusion's whole organic, Non-GMO concentrated nutrient-rich food ingredi- ent, GrandFusion ® vegetable blend into its Beast Burgers™ and Beastly Sliders™ food products. It was chosen for its ability to help Beyond Meat achieve its nutritional goals with ingredi- ents coming only from natural sources. Beyond Meat's Beast Burgers and Beastly Sliders are both 100 percent plant based and incorporate all the protein and iron of beef packed with antioxidants, ALA omegas, calcium, Vitamins B-6, B- 12 and potassium. The Beast line is 100 percent gluten-free, soy-free, and made without GMO ingredients. NutriFusion's farm-to-table philoso- phy allows the company to make rich whole-food nutritional blends from fresh fruits and vegetables void of any synthet- ic additives, excipients or preservatives. GrandFusion allows food processors to add natural nutrients to a wide variety of finished food products. It is an all-natu- ral, patented blend of fruits and/or veg- etables that can significantly increase the nutritional profile of food, beverage and supplement products. Rich in antioxi- dants and an excellent source of Vitamins A, C, D, E, B1, B2, GrandFusion sup- plies the complex nutrients and phytonu- trients from fresh fruits and vegetables and adds the nutrients from as much as two servings of vegetables to every food product, without affecting taste or func- tionality of foods. "Beyond Meat is a very progressive food company that matches our goal to address a marketplace that continues to evolve toward more educated consumers who care what ingredients go into the food they eat and are demanding healthi- er options while still looking for the con- venience factor," said William Grand, Founder and CEO, NutriFusion. "Beyond Meat has created two amazing products that will appeal to a wide range of consumers because of the outstanding nutritional benefits as well as the taste, which sends a clear signal to consumers that they are not buying just another veg- gie burger." Beyond Meat is a privately held company with high-profile investors that share the company's passion and drive for changing the way the world gets its protein. Investors include, Bill Gates, Twitter co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams, investment firm Kleiner- Perkins Caufield & Byers, Seth Goldman, the founder of Honest Tea, and the Humane Society of the United States, among others. Beyond Meat's Beast Burgers, Beastly Sliders and other all natural food products are sold in national retail grocers. "We are building 'The Future of Protein,' and the Beast Burger and Beastly Sliders are significant steps in that direction," said Ethan Brown, co- founder and CEO, Beyond Meat. "NutriFusion made it possible to meet our nutritional goals without using syn- thetic ingredients, which is a benefit that consumers value." Currently North America is the largest market serviced by NutriFusion, and an established distri- bution pipeline extends to Australia and New Zealand. NutriFusion's four key sales markets include the food, beverage, nutritional supplement and pet food/treats industries. ALDI COMPLETES PURCHASE OF DELHAIZE GROUP'S BOTTOM DOLLAR FOOD REAL ESTATE SITES ALDI has completed its purchase of 66 real estate assets from the Delhaize Group. The transaction includes the land, buildings and leasehold improve- ments associated with Delhaize's recently retired Bottom Dollar Food operation. "ALDI has been offering fresh, affordable groceries in Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey communities for 20 years. With the completion of this real estate transaction, we are able to ramp up our expansion plans in the region to meet the growing demand for the ALDI difference: high-quality gro- ceries at everyday low prices in an easy-to-shop store," said Jason Hart, CEO, ALDI. "While we are excited to pursue opening ALDI stores at 30 of these locations, we will continue work- ing with those communities where we will not be using the sites to ensure a smooth transition." In December 2013, ALDI embarked on an accelerated growth plan to open 650 new stores by the end of 2018, with the goal of operating nearly 2,000 stores across the country. ALDI also is planning to invest more than $3 billion to pay for land, facilities and equipment. When the expansion is complete, ALDI will have stores coast- to-coast and anticipates serving more than 45 million customers per month. The expansion is expected to create more than 10,000 new jobs at ALDI stores, warehouses and division offices. "At ALDI, we are committed to being an employer of choice as we know the significant contributions that our peo- ple add to the business by providing excellent service day after day," said Hart. "To attract and retain the best tal- ent, we are proud to offer our employees generous compensation that is higher than those of other grocery retailers in the market. In addition, associates working at least 25 hours per week receive full health benefits, and all ALDI employees are invited to participate in our 401(k) program." Growth is accelerating at ALDI due to the appeal of its unique business model that lets smart shoppers save up to 50 percent on more than 1,300 of the most commonly purchased grocery items, including more than 70 varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, including organic produce. In fact, ALDI has been recog- nized as the nation's low-price grocery leader for four consecutive years, as well as one of the top three favorite grocery store chains in America, according to consumer surveys. "Not only are we growing our geo- graphic footprint, but we're expanding our product offerings as well. We contin- ue to increase our healthy food and on- trend options, including fresh produce, USDA choice meats, dairy products and baked goods, along with our new SimplyNature line that includes several organic items, and our liveGfree line of gluten-free products," added Hart. "With everything ALDI has to offer, it's no sur- prise to us that more and more people are discovering that they don't have to sacri- fice quality and taste to save money by shopping at ALDI." ALDI generates savings for its cus- tomers through a low-overhead approach that focuses on offering high quality, pre- mium products and includes cost-saving measures such as volume purchasing, house brand products and special buys as well as a streamlined approach that avoids non-essential services such as banking, pharmacies, check cashing and bagging clerks. Those savings result in lower prices for consumers.