Originally published July 1 2015
Fast food restaurants move towards organic food as Americans become health-conscious
by Jennifer Lilley
(NaturalNews) Many Americans are strolling around supermarkets, their carts filled with non-organic food galore. That same group likely considers fast food restaurants their second home, familiar with the menu's latest triple-burger creations. However, these behaviors are becoming a thing of the past now that many people have started taking their health very seriously.
They've been learning a great deal about the insane amounts and types of body and brain-destroying chemicals they've been eating all along. One important influence has been Vani Hari, aka "The Food Babe," who petitioned Subway to stop adding Azodicarbonamide -- the same chemical that's in yoga mats -- to Subway's breads. With health becoming a bigger concern than ever before, people are demanding options that include fresh, whole and organic foods.
Picking up on the increasing demands of health-conscious people are fast food restaurants, who are working to keep harmful chemicals and non-organic foods out of their establishments so that customers stay in them.
From frozen food to a drive-through serving organic french fries
For example, Amy's Kitchen, a popular frozen food brand, has announced that by the end of June, it will open its first Amy's Drive Thru restaurant. Their goal is to continue providing customers with tasty foods with more of an emphasis on organic and clean meals. The drive-through, which is set to open in Rohnert Park, California, will include items such as french fries made from fresh, organic potatoes as well as shakes, chili and burritos. Co-founder and co-CEO Andy Berliner says, "...we decided to do more of a traditional drive-through restaurant, but with organic, vegetarian, pesticide-free, and GMO-free food" in response to customers' requests to delve into the restaurant business.
They follow a long list of food giants and restaurateurs who have also listened to customer demands for healthier options.
From Chipotle to Panera, the healthy movement continues
Chipotle, as many are aware, is now 100 percent non-GMO. Their web site boldly declares their good riddance, health-minded stance with copy saying, "G-M-Over It" and "When it comes to our food, genetically modified ingredients don't make the cut."
According to their site:
Chipotle is on a never-ending journey to source the highest quality ingredients we can find. Over the years, as we have learned more about GMOs, we've decided that using them in our food doesn't align with that vision. Chipotle was the first national restaurant company to disclose the GMO ingredients in our food, and now we are the first to cook only with non-GMO ingredients.
The movement towards serving healthier foods is undoubtedly spreading.
Panera even developed a "No-No list," in which people can see the entire rundown of foods the chain plans on improving. For example, the hydrogenated soy protein, propylene glycol alginate and maltodextrin once found in their Greek salad dressing are gone. The idea applies to some 150 artificial preservatives, sweeteners, colors and flavors that Panera hopes to remove from their products by the end of 2016. Panera CEO Ron Shaich says, "I want to serve everyone the food I want my daughter to eat. And if I feel uncomfortable about serving her some of this stuff, I don't want anyone else to eat it."
As for McDonald's, they plan to incorporate kale in their menu some time in 2016. However, this notion has drawn some criticism, with many people noting that just prior to that announcement, the fast food giant ran ads that insulted health-conscious people and poked fun at kale in particular. Many people maintain that their move is solely to address declining sales, while others say that tossing a bit of kale on fatty, fried foods isn't enough.
Saying no to junk foods and trans fats
Even the grandson of the deceased Dorito's inventor is taking a healthier path, marking a departure from junk foods. Tim West, who trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and New York's St. Regis Hotel, opened up a pop-up restaurant in California called Cool Beans. He serves mostly vegetable and bean-based meals. After growing up on hot dogs, grilled cheese and probably Doritos, West says that he did a complete turnaround and is dedicated to providing people with foods that are good for them and for the planet.
It's about time such companies and restaurants get involved in the organic, non-GMO, clean food movement. Junk foods wreak havoc on the body; a recent study noted that trans fats -- which are found in junk foods -- even have the ability to jeopardize memory recall.
Eating healthier is simply the way to go to achieve optimal physical and mental health.
Sources:
http://civileats.com
http://chipotle.com
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://money.cnn.com
http://www.flabbyroad.com
http://www.naturalnews.com
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