GOOD FORK WEEK!
Good Fork Week
October 22-28, 2012
www.goodforkweek.com.au or 1800 066 838
Obesity is one of the biggest problems that we face. 61% of Australian adults are either overweight or obese and we have one of the world’s highest rates of childhood obesity. Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) and Obesity Prevention Australia are calling on chefs and foodservice operators to join the fight against obesity by participating in the inaugural Good Fork Week.
The event, which will be held during National Health Awareness Month from 22 – 28 October 2012, encourages all food operators to commit to making small tweaks to at least a dish on their menu to provide more nutritious options to their diners and in turn take a step forward in tackling the obesity epidemic.
Leading Australian chef, Christine Manfield, owner and operator of Universal restaurant is the official Good Fork Week Ambassador.
“I am proud to be part of Good Fork Week, which aims to kick-start a change in the thinking and practice of our industry, help guests eat more nutritiously when dining out. I believe foodservice venues, from fine dining to the local pub, can all help contribute to the fight against obesity,” she says.
“Taking part in Good Fork Week can be as simple as adding more flavour to your dishes by using fresh herbs and spices instead butter or fat; substituting a serving of chips with a delicious salad; or perhaps grilling, steaming or baking your protein instead of frying, and re-evaluating portion sizes.”
The idea behind Good Fork Week stemmed from new findings from the third instalment of Unilever Food Solutions’ World Menu Report, which highlights that foodservice venues around the world are not meeting their guests’ needs when it comes to providing nutritious options on their menu. The report found that two in every three Aussie diners would prefer healthy food options when eating out but many feel that the healthier options on menus “usually don’t sound tasty” and are often “not very filling”.
To address this mismatch, UFS has created a simple solution for chefs and operators called “Seductive Nutrition” – a new approach to menu design which nudges guests to more nutritious options when eating out. This new approach was created by UFS’ global team of chefs and nutritionists to help operators adapt their menus with more nutritious versions of their favourite dishes, and “seductively” sell these meals to their guests.
“There are currently one billion overweight adults globally and this will continue to rise to 1.5 billion by 20152 unless we take action now. At Unilever Food Solutions, we believe that the foodservice industry has an important role to play in reducing the prevalence of obesity in Australia.” said Mr Yezdi Daruwalla, Managing Director of Unilever Food Solutions ANZ.
“I call on all chefs and operators to register now to be part of Good Food Week.”
Participation in Good Fork Week is free of charge and all registered participants will receive a Good Fork Week Registration pack which will include the UFS Seductive Nutrition Service and recipe cards. Once they become an official partner, participants will receive a Good Fork Week Merchandising pack including Christine Manfield’s own Good Fork Week menu item recipe, posters, stickers and other materials.