Eat Smart!
The Program That Promotes Healthier Choices For Dining Out
Our fast-food nation is ailing. Unhealthy food choices, coupled with sedentary pastimes such as playing computer games and surfing the Internet, are contributing to the rapidly growing rate of obesity among Canadians. As a result, health officials warn that many people face the dire prospect of heart disease, cancer and other ailments.
By Lorne Chase
How can we find the time to cook healthy, nutritious meals all the time? Most of us lead hectic lives and find it easier to go out for a meal, instead of trying to make like The Iron Chef after a hard day at work. But choosing an appropriate place to dine out can be a hassle.
That’s where the Eat Smart! program can assist you. To help reduce chronic ailments, the program promotes restaurants that offer healthier food choices, kitchen staff certified in food handling by a recognized institution, and a 100% smoke-free environment. Begun in 1999, the program was established in partnership with a number of organizations, including the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, and the Ontario division of the Canadian Cancer Society.
Across the province, 32 out of 36 Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) units have implemented the program, and at last count there were 800 restaurants participating in it. Dieticians from the OPHA play a key role in promoting the program, and provide education and training for restaurant owners and their staff.
“People eat out an average of four to six times a week, which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner,” says Laura Pasut, a dietician associated with the program. “I think Eat Smart! is helping to raise the standard for dining out.”
In York Region alone, 143 dining establishments are part of the program, most of them privately owned restaurants. Pasut points out that Eat Smart! is geared toward families with children, so fine-dining establishments are not generally part of the program. “However, we get a lot of interest from franchises that want to qualify,” she says.
At present, Ontario is the only province with an Eat Smart! program. Along with the other stipulations, restaurants must be willing to cater to diners who want healthier food choices that may not appear on the menu. For instance, if a patron asks for a baked potato instead of fries, the restaurant must be flexible enough to accommodate such a request.
Eat Smart! has also developed programs for public schools and organizations. “We want to promote good eating habits wherever we can,” says Pasut, “increasing knowledge and awareness of healthy food alternatives.”
So far, 21 of 36 OPHA units across the province are involved in the public school aspect of the program. But getting organizations and businesses interested in the workplace Eat Smart! program hasn’t been as easy: only 66 workplaces currently participate. There are several reasons for this, says Pasut, including the fact that many businesses don’t have cafeterias and, if they do, there has to be buy-in from company owners who want to participate in the program.
So the next time you come home tired and can’t find the proper motivation to whip up something nutritious, forego the junk food and visit the Eat Smart! web site (http://eatsmart.web.ca) with its complete list of participating restaurants in your area.
For health-conscious diners, it truly is the smart choice!
369 Shanghai Dim Sum • 8380 Kennedy Rd., Unit C8 Markham
A Taste of Japan • 7501 Woodbine Ave., Markham
Al Casale Ristorante • 17766 Leslie St., Newmarket
Angus Glen Golf Course Restaurant • 10080 Kennedy Rd., Markham
Aramark • 187 Bramble Cres., Stouffville
Ballantrae Golf Club • 1 The Masters South, Stouffville
Bayview Country Club • 25 Fairway Heights, Thornhill
Carmelina Italian Restaurant • 7501 Woodbine Ave., Markham
Chung King Garden • Market Village Shopping Centre, Markham
City Inn Chinese Cuisine • Market Village Shopping Centre, Markham
Coffee Time Donuts • 15228 Woodbine Ave., Stouffville
Compass Group (Eurest Dining Services) • 4175 14th Ave., Markham
Compass Group (Eurest Dining) • 3600 Steeles Ave., East, Markham
Compass Group (Eurest Dining Services) - IBM 8200 Warden Ave • 8200 Warden Ave., Markham
Compass Group (Eurest Dining) - Philips Electronics • 281 Hillmount Rd., Markham
Cuisine of India • 5328 Hwy. #7 East, Unit 4, Markham
Dante • 267 Bay Thorn Dr., Thornhill
Emerald Hills Golf • 14001 Concession 5, RR 4, Stouffville
Extendicare • 3000 Steeles Ave., East, 4th floor, Markham
Ferrovia Ristorante • 7355 Bayview Ave., Thornhill
G & R Delight Lunch Cafe • 8500 Leslie St., Thornhill
Glenway Country Club • 470 Crossland Gate, Newmarket
Golden Chopsticks • 7000 Bathurst St., Unit C-6, Thornhill
Golden Griddle Restaurant • 7100 Woodbine Ave., Markham
Graceful Vegetarian • Market Village Shopping Centre Markham
Great Khan Mongolian Grill • 7131 Kennedy Rd., Markham
Hanilkwan Korean • 100 Steeles Ave., West, Unit 2B, Thornhill
Hilton Suites Conference Centre and Spa • 8500 Warden Ave., Markham
Hollywood Panini • 9631 Yonge St., Unit 2, Richmond Hill
Jimmy The Greek • Markville Shopping Centre, Markham
Kelsey • 7710 Markham Road, Markham
Longo Brothers Fruit Markets • 3085 Hwy. #7, Markham
Mandarin Restaurant • 7660 Woodbine Ave., Markham
Markham Sushi • 17 Wootten Way North, Markham
Mr. Sub • 5990 16th Ave., Markham
Nella • 525 New Westminister Dr.,Thornhill
Nella’s Catering Ltd. • 5300 14th Ave., Markham
O Mei Restaurant • 248 Steeles Ave., West, Thornhill
Pho Hoa Vietnamese Noodle • 3636 Steeles Ave., East, Markham
Radisson Hotel • 50 East Valhalla Dr., Markham
Select Sandwich • 505 Hood Road, Unit 6, Markham
St. Andrew • 14022 McCowan Road, RR # 4, Stouffville
Station Creek Golf • 12657 Woodbine Ave., Box 489, Stouffville
Steelcase Cafeteria • 1 Steelcase Rd. West, Markham
Steeles Deli Restaurant • 180 Steeles Ave., West, Thornhill
Subway • 7089 Yonge St., Thornhill
Swiss Chalet • 5284 Hwy. # 7 East, Markham
Swiss Chalet • 5070 Hwy. #7 East, Markham
Swiss Chalet • 15 Sandale Rd., Stouffville
The Great North American Grill • Hilton Garden Inn, Thornhill
The Old Curiosity Tea Shop • 91 Main Street North, Markham
The Village Steak & Chophouse • 149 Main Street, Unionville
Timothy • 7690 Markham Rd., Markham
VIP Sushi Restaurant • 8143 Yonge St., Thornhill
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
