infographic: don’t let these 10 food & nutrition myths fool you

April 1, 2013

We’ve all heard myths about foods that we should and shouldn’t eat: eggs are okay one day and bad for you the next. Red meat? Forget about it. And don’t even get us started on the term “organic.”

In the celebration of April Fools’ Day, we’re clarifying some of the biggest myths, so you’ll know once and for all which foods are beneficial and which to stay away from.

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the extraordinary science of addictive junk food

February 25, 2013

Photo Credit: Grant Cornett for The New York Times

It’s 14 pages long, but this eye-opening article on the science of addictive junk food, published in the New York Times last Wednesday, is well worth a read. The article took excerpts from Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Moss‘s new book, “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us,” which will hit shelves this month. It touches on the growing obesity epidemic, and why we need to teach children to eat nutritiously, as well as the marketing tactics of companies such as Coca Cola, Procter & Gamble and General Mills.

Some of the facts presented were frightening enough to cause any reader to shy away from eating these products ever again. Here are just some of the haunting facts Moss points out in the article:

• a half cup of Prego traditional marinara sauce contains as much sugar as two Oreos, and one third of the daily recommended amount of sodium for an American adult
• Cheetohs have a “vanishing caloric density” effect which causes your brain to think there are no calories in what you’re eating, so you continue eating those melty cheesy straws forever
• if you take Lunchables apart, the healthiest item in the box is the napkin

At sweetgreen, we believe in full transparency, and we’re proud of the food we serve. We care about teaching our children about the importance of eating nutritious foods that are accessible, affordable and delicious. Our staff is also very health conscious and we regularly participate in yoga, barre and spinning classes throughout the city.

Altogether, this article is eye-opening and gives great insight into business and marketing tactics in the world of food and dining. We’re looking forward to reading Moss’s book later this month!

introducing sweetgreen in schools

February 17, 2011

We are very proud to present our newest community program: sweetgreen in schools. This is an exciting way for us to get involved in our communities and teach kids about the importance of eating healthy!  sweetgreen in schools is a series of interactive, educational nutrition education classes where students will learn key messages about nutrition, health, and “where food comes from” through hands-on activities.  The series will culminate in a final project and students will create personalized salads to share with their families, and compete to see which is the tastiest!  We will also invite the classes on a field trip to one of our store locations to see professional chefs developing and serving salads to customers.

In this month’s lesson, “Eat the Rainbow!” classes prepare salads using a colorful variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and discuss the nutrients and health benefits of each. This past Friday marked the inaugural sweetgreen in schools held at Garfield Elementary in southeast DC.  Adorable 9 and 10 year olds were hesitant at first to try some of the ingredients (tomato, carrot, corn, kale, beets and local feta cheese), but gobbled the salads down once they were all mixed together.  They were even willing to taste raw beets and were surprised by its crunchy sweet flavor.  The kids loved our krispy kale, discovering a new kind of “chip”, and while they craved ranch dressing, they enjoyed balsamic vinaigrette more than they ever thought. 

things we dig: food-lover’s cleanse

January 4, 2011

If you are looking for a plan to kick start a new year’s resolution to eat right, BonAppetit magazine has planned a unique 2-week cleanse.  You won’t find a meal-replacer shake here- only creative and inspired dishes leaving you dazzled and cleansed like Garam Masala Tofu Scramble or Fresh Salmon and Lime Cakes.  Each day outlines a tantalizing menu complete with recipes, tips, and introductions to new ingredients.  If a more flexible nutritional cleanse is more your style, a list of recommended “detox-friendly” foods can guide your own plan.  Nearly all of these items can be found at your local sweetgreen making it easy to incorporate a personalized salad cleanse into your nutrition upgrade in 2011.

www.bonappetit.com/recipes/food-lovers-cleanse

introducing our nutrition calculator

September 17, 2010

You guys asked for it and now we got it. Introducing our brand new awesome nutrition calculator. Always wondering what are the nutrition facts behind your favorite sweetgreen salad masterpiece? Well, now you know. And after you find out, feel free to print that info or share with friends via email, facebook, or twitter.

What are you waiting for? Click here to get started!