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8 - Tise Canadian Champion, Tuesday, November 23, 1999 *Cbnwwu w You are whatyou eat Eat Smart program offers healthy choices By WILMA BLOKHUIS Special to The Champion ICoor at smart and make healthy choices about che K lu what you eat, and where you eat it is the I i joîen message being sent by the Halton Regional j o. 1 ne Health Department in its new food program. R acolt 0in Given that average Canadians spend more than one-third of their food budget on dining out and take-out meals, and that 85 per cent of Canadians consider nutri- tion an important factor in their food choices, Halton Region is launching its Eat Smart restaurant program. First launched in Toronto with 200 partici- pating restaurants during its Good Food Festival in May, Eat Smart is "llalton's Eat Smart program will identify lo"a restaurants that have doue that littie bit extra to support the health of thefr custoers' ML ROaSI hMAL Ontario's new healthy restaurant program currently being intro- duced across the province. Halton is among the first munîcipali- ties ta launch Eat Smart. The goal of Eat Smart, said Dr. Robert Nosal, Halton's medical officer of healtis, is to contribute 60 the reduction of chronic dis- ease such as heart disease and cancer, and food-bomne ilînesses in thse region. "With the average Canadian eating out about five times a week, restaurants are ideal places to support healthy lifestyle change by increasing access ta sale, nutritious food in non-smoking environ- ments," said Dr. Nosal. "Halton's Eat Smart program will identify local restaurants that bave done that little bit extra to support thse health of their cus- toimera." Participation by restaurants in Eat Smart is voluntary. Participating restaurants are identified by Eat Smart logo stickers on their main entrances. More than 75 restaurant owners and chefs attended Wednesday's healthy breakfast launch of Eat Smart at the Halton Region Auditorium, where they were informed of the three crite- ria for this designation. Thse three requirements for an Hat Smart restaurant designation are: offering healthy food choices, safety in food handling, and 15 per cent more non-smoking seating than required by local bylaws. Local bylaws require restaurants in Oakville, Burlington and Milton ta provide 70 per cent non-smoking seating - Eat Smart increases that requirement ta 85 per cent. (Only in Burlington does tise non-smoking seating drop ta 50 per cent after 9 p.m., dropping tise Eat Smart requirement ta 65 percent.) On Halton Hilîs, where the non-smoking bylaw is under review, tise requirement is 25 per cent non-smoking. However, under the Eat Smart criteria, non-smoking seating cannot be below 50 per cent. On Toronto, 80 per cent of ail seating in its Eat Smart restau- rants is non-smoking, and several participating establishsments are smoke free, according ta tise city's Eat Smart dining guide, tise first published in Ontario. "Non-smoking is an essential part of the Eat Smart program," said Chris Klugman, corporate chef for the Liberty Entertainment Group, which includes tise Rosewater Supper Club, Lefi Bank, and Courthouse in Toronto. He's known for bis 'fresh market' and low-fat 'enlightened' cuisine. "I know this upsets the Ontario Restaurant Association, but nat smoking is an essential element of promoting public healtis," said Mr. Klugman who quit smoking about three years ago. In a perfect world, aIl Eat Smart restaurants would be non- smoking, but he added, 'I recognize market reality, and we've adjusted aur non-smoking seating requirement ta local bylaws." A few years ago, when the City of Toronto attempted ta intro- duce a smoking ban in restaurants - which caused an uproar aniong restaurant operators - Mr. Klugman was chef at a restau- rant which supported the ban. ase. SMART on page 10 ((('J, MCQGECG www.cogeco.c8 Acton 21 Main Street North, Acton, ON LM 1V9 5l9-5341270, or 853-4700 COGECO 14 Programming Schedule - November l6th- November 22nd, 1999 lam, lias, 2ps 5:30, 6:30,1 7:3ps 6110ps PkOed i! 10s, Ilas, 12pn Encore Plged In! 530,6307:30pm Sesiloecae 6:001er MM eek HMsi Hift 1:01e Csecd 8:OOps PWhmki tlan, tOmsn, lips PlWe Il! 5:30pn, tIO0prn, 7:ilie Swap Tàk - W e » Miton cocil PHaJ ki 4pn, 5pmt:3pn Pl*d 4:3Oosr TeLoce Smer 530p N rissS t. 630 Pm Haftor Regen Cmjil l I- 0a, lam, 12ps N eLod SMer 53,t30,îlIpr Sem*msa t:Ilisn = 700p Sua ias î:Ip Feature this week: How do financlal markets affect you? Watch "Money Weok" - Tuosday, 7 pm. miledki woias EdM SperlsONE Lie *1 _'N l L ý1