The National Restaurant Association, also based in Washington, released the following statement on October 24 to highlight how America’s restaurants celebrate Food Day every day:
“The restaurant industry provides nearly 13 million jobs nationwide,” said Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the NRA. “That means one out of every 10 people working in our country today works in the restaurant and foodservice industry. Restaurants serve more than 130 million people every day in the U.S., supplying about one meal out of every four for Americans. For us, every day is Food Day.”
Sweeney cited recent association research showing that guests are looking for more nutritionally balanced meals, and restaurants are meeting those needs.
“The National Restaurant Association recently launched ‘Kids LiveWell,’ a first-of-its-kind nationwide program that helps parents indentify healthful children’s menu options when dining out,” Sweeney said. “In addition, the restaurant industry has worked with the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign to end childhood obesity within a generation. The association’s school-foodservice members have pledged to double the amount of produce they serve in the next 10 years, and to increase nutrition-education efforts for students and parents.
“These are just a few examples of the National Restaurant Association taking a proactive role in helping the industry address our nation’s healthy-living challenges and providing more options for consumers,” Sweeney continued. “The National Restaurant Association is proud to serve as the voice of the restaurant industry, which celebrates Food Day every single day.”
Click here to read how America’s restaurants are putting safe, wholesome and nutritious food at the center of the plate.