By Christina Schoerner, MS, RDN, LDN
When it comes to finding healthy food options when you’re out at a restaurant, it can be hard to determine the good from the bad. If you prefer to eat at home, it can also be a struggle to come up with new ideas for nutritious meals that will have everyone begging for seconds. Whether you are trying to figure out what meals on the restaurant menu are healthy or need help stepping up your culinary game, Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well has an app for that.
Menu It is a free smartphone app that helps you find healthy food options fast. It not only provides personalized nutrition guidance, it’s also a place to find recipes, health information, classes and events throughout west Georgia. Here are four reasons to download Menu It today.
1. Scenario: I’m allergic to dairy and eggs — what are the safest choices?
Can’t eat food items with dairy or eggs? No problem. You can enter your dietary preferences into Menu It — such as vegan or vegetarian — along with any health conditions that may impact your food choices. The app will use its database to find restaurant menu items and recipes that meet your needs. Menu It also warns you if a food doesn’t match your preferences and conditions.
2. Scenario: What is a healthy meal option I can prepare at home?
What if you prefer to eat a healthy meal at home, but are having trouble coming up with new recipe ideas? Menu It has got you covered with a list of recipes that will fit into your nutrition guidelines. Looking for a meal that’s suitable for someone with type 2 diabetes? Try the southwest white chicken chili. Need to find something that’s healthy and delicious for someone with liver disease? Serve up a vegetarian tostada. Plus, photos accompany most of the recipes, so you can see what you’re making!
3. Scenario: I’m out of my neighborhood or traveling — where can I find a healthy meal?
Depending on where you travel, it can be hard to find healthy meal options. If you’re following a special diet, it can be even trickier to find food on the go. With Menu It, you can search for restaurants by name or ZIP code. The app not only includes nutrition information for local restaurants, its database also contains stats for a number of national and regional restaurant chains. The app will help steer you toward restaurants that feature healthy items on their menus.
4. Scenario: Where can I find the closest farmers’ market to me?
In addition to helping you find healthy restaurant meal options wherever you are, Menu It’s database includes information on where you can find local farmers’ markets. You can also search for farmers’ markets by name or ZIP code. Once you click on a selection, you will find more details about the farmers’ market. You can find out if the market accepts SNAP or any other community program benefits. You can also find out what type of items the market sells. Eating locally-grown produce is a great way to “Go for 5” and get your five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, so download Menu It to find a farmers’ market near you.
The Menu It app is available for free in the Apple App Store and for Android devices on Google Play. The app can be downloaded by searching for “Menu It.” For more information, email gethealthy@tanner.org or visit www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org.
Christina Schoerner, MS, RDN, LDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and health coach at Tanner Health System. A Carrollton native, Schoerner earned her bachelor’s in dietetics from Samford University and her master’s in nutrition from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).