Food expert Dr Joanna believes that Aussies are often in the dark about takeaway food nutrition and has launched a new initiative to shed light on the takeaway food industry. A recent survey by Menulog discovered that with 55% of Australians believing that takeaway food has become more affordable and 72% ordering in at least once a week, takeaway is here to stay. Misconceptions about delivery food as an unhealthy convenience are now being turned on their heads as the nutritionist highlights what is deliciously healthy and what is not.
Internationally renowned for her wholefood, low GI approach to nutrition, Dr Joanna is the creator of the Doctor Joanna Plate – a food guide that has helped lead thousands of Australians to better eating habits. Her reason for targeting the food industry is simple: “It is compulsory for restaurants with more than 20 outlets to release nutritional analyses of their menus to the public, and much of our packaged food comes with nutritional analyses. When it comes to ordering in from small restaurants, however, there is nothing available to us.”
Dr Joanna’s analysis guidelines which have been developed in collaboration with Menulog specifically for takeaway dishes revealed quite a few surprises: of the 18 restaurants that have been brought under the microscope so far 40% have dishes that qualified for entry into the Healthy+ program. Based on its web platform, Menulog’s Healthy+ program showcases the best options for healthy meals.
“The initial rollout of Healthy+ across restaurants has uncovered some surprising results, and will demystify many misconceptions Australians have about takeaway. The eight cuisines that have so far made the Healthy+ program among participating restaurants are Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, African, Modern Australian, Italian, Japanese and Thai,” Dr Joanna says.
“Factors that have made particular dishes on menus stand out have been healthy cooking methods, inclusion of lean meats or seafood, plenty of vegetables or good oils. The abundant use of antioxidant-rich herbs and spices are also major brownie points for many cuisines.”
Visit Menulog to find out more.
