• Struggling to eat well when eating out?

    We'll let you know when restaurants near you
    become REAL Certified.

  • As a token of our appreciation, we'll send you our
    top 10 tips for eating healthy when eating out!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Eat REAL Tennessee Announces the First REAL Certified Restaurants in Tennessee

May 8, 2014

By: Lesley Lassiter

Original article at Nashville Scene

Eat REAL Tennessee, an organization developed through a partnership between the Tennessee Department of Health and the U.S. Healthful Food Council, has announced the state’s first food-service establishments (restaurants, caterers, and other businesses that provide food to public and private customers) to achieve REAL Certification. All of the businesses receiving the certification are located in Middle Tennessee, as Nashville was chosen as the anchor city to introduce the program. The program will be expanded to Memphis later this year and Knoxville next year.

 

Responsible Epicurean and Agricultural Leadership (REAL) is a growing national program that helps combat diet-related disease by recognizing food-service operators committed to holistic nutrition and environmental stewardship. Tennessee’s inaugural class of REAL Certified foodservice establishments includes many of my favorite restaurants: 1808 Grille, The Barn and Main House at Blackberry Farm,Frothy Monkey, The Garden Brunch Cafe, Joe Natural’s Cafe, Juice Bar, My Veggie Chef, Sky Blue Cafe, Sloco, Sunflower Cafe, The Wild Cow and the new Music City Center. “We’re pleased to recognize these leaders who are providing food that is not only good for business, but also good for Tennesseans,” said Eat REAL Project Manager Kristen Korzenowski. “These operators are contributing to a culture where the healthy choice is the easy choice.”

Eat REAL Tennessee reached out to local restaurants to educate them about the new program and encourage them to apply for certification. Utilizing the points-based REAL Index, independent registered dietitians conduct an assessment of menu offerings and overall nutrition and sustainability practices.

Establishments are credited with points across a range of criteria such as the use of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy preparation methods, moderate portion sizes, unsweetened beverages, healthy children’s options and sustainable sourcing. Those that satisfy the necessary requirements are awarded REAL Certification.

Why is this important? “With the increased consumption of food prepared away from home, it’s critical that we help families find restaurants that serve healthier food and beverages,” said Kristie Ryan, executive director of the Tennessee chapter of the American Diabetes Association. “We believe that Eat REAL positively impacts both consumers and foodservice operators in our state.”

All REAL Certified establishments are featured on eatREAL.org and through the USHFC’s local partners to help promote “better-for-you” dining options. REAL Certified locations will be highlighted on ToGo Order, an online take-out ordering service as well, so that it will be easier to choose good options when dining out.