Food 'n' Drink – Food and Drink news |

The world has become faster and faster and appropriately the demand for fast food is also increasing. Consumers should check the calorie content of such foods before tucking into a burger or a nice coffee though as the count can often be higher than you think. Many people are unaware that even if you just eat these two items you might have used up half of your recommended calorie intake for an entire day. Add a few more items from the coffee shop menu, like a muffin, and you are well on your way to expending the entire amount.

There is not clear enough labelling on some items and that makes it very easy for us to unknowingly consume a vast amount of calories in very little time. The government is encouraging us to be more careful about what we choose in an effort to reduce obesity levels.

Helen Bond, a dietician, has said, “The government wants to see fast food chains put the number of calories of each product in a clearly visible place in each establishment. McDonald’s is already doing this, in every restaurant there is a board that lists the calorie content of all their items. Starbucks has also recently signed on with this government programme. This lack of labelling means that people don’t know how much they are consuming and it is causing a real problem. This is especially true for liquid, such as fancy coffees which contain many calories.”

Bond says that the best way to keep within the recommended limits is to know which are the right choices to make. She uses Starbucks coffee as an example, “Choose an americano,” she says, “and you will be consuming less than 20 calories. Have a hot chocolate with cream and you are going to be consuming well over 500.”

“The Fairtrade chocolate shortbread at Starbucks contains a staggering 1000 calories, half the recommended daily allowance for women. If you go for lunch at McDonald’s and have a milkshake with a Big Mac and fries you are going to be taking in nearly 1,500 calories. If you choose a salad and coffee, you will only be taking in around 300. It is all about what we choose.”

It is not just the calories we should be looking at in our foods. We must also consider how much salt and fat we eat as well. While calories are calories, when we consume them in the form of fats we are more likely to put on weight from them. What is important for people is that they realise that fast food can be part of a healthy diet, the diet just has to be balanced.

The majority of articles regarding weight loss these days advise the reader to ignore take-aways and drive through outlets.  In these articles it is proposed that the weight watcher cooks their own specific foods.  Notwithstanding that this is a good suggestion, there are times when the reader just does not feel up to cooking for the family, or themselves, and it far easier to visit the drive through and arrive home with a prepared meal.

The weight conscious person should not feel guilty about visiting a fast food outlet as now most fast food outlets are offering more healthy type of food and some now have a full menu for the health conscious.

There are ways the consumer can remain healthy.  The primary object should be to observe the calorie content of all food. Not only does the shopper need to look at the food content but should also be careful with the liquid choice.  Many soda drinks contain unwanted and unhealthy calories.  A small glass of soda should not be more than 7.5oz in volume and should be plentiful but here too are unwelcome calories.

The object of knowing the calorie count is to be aware of the sugar that the body will have to absorb in drinking this liquid. It is far better to choose a health drink or pure fruit juice, milk or even plain water.  Some sweetened bottled waters also contain sugar and calories.

In the past the only side option to a meal were chips.  Menus have now been changed and expanded and most outlets offer a salad bar and chilli.  Potatoes are sometimes available as is fruit.  There are many alternatives to eating fatty or oily foods.

The hungry person should choose their food outlet carefully.  Numerous fast food outlets now offer healthy chicken and beef sandwiches, salads and wraps.  Arby’s is one outlet that no longer offers burgers and Wendy’s, famous for their square burgers, has a menu which also offers chilli, potatoes and salads.

Unhealthy eating habits can lead to medical problems in later life and it has been proved that the consumption of certain fats may damage vital organs. Should the urge for an occasional binge be too much to bear, then make the correct choice and go for the healthy foods on the side menus. The occasional transgression will be nullified by the other eating choices.

Make your Fridays fantastic with the latest deal from Domino’s Pizza. The pizza delivery expert’s new Free Ice-cream Fridays have just started.  All you need to do is spend more than £20 online with Domino’s on a Friday and you will receive a 500ml tub of irresistible Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream absolutely free.

With four favourite Ben & Jerry’s flavours included in the deal, they’re perfect to polish off after your pizza. Choose from mouth-watering Caramel Chew Chew, moreish Chocolate Fudge Brownie, delicious Cookie Dough and the legendary Phish Food.

Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director at Domino’s, said: “We’re delighted to create another reason for pizza lovers to celebrate the end of the week with Free Ice-cream Fridays. After a piping hot Pepperoni Passion, there’s nothing better than tucking into a tub of ice-cream and this great deal is guaranteed to make Fridays fantastic from now on!”

To grab a slice of the action with Domino’s and Free Ice-cream Fridays, order online at www.dominos.co.uk.

To celebrate its new Domino’s Stuffed Crust(TM), the pizza delivery expert has announced two social platform initiatives to spread the word – a location-based offer integrated with Facebook® Deals and internet-based treasure hunt, Domino’s Stuffed Crust Quest.

The Facebook Deals promotion offers a free garlic pizza bread when Facebook users check in to any UK Domino’s store and order a Domino’s Stuffed Crust. To claim, customers simply need to present the check in screen on their mobile to the order taker. By checking in with their Facebook account, pizza lovers can also publish it back to Facebook and share it with friends.

For budding treasure hunters, Domino’s Stuffed Crust Quest will launch later this week. The interactive quest will challenge Domino’s fans to follow clues around the internet during a limited time period to collect a series of letters. The letters will spell out a secret code that can be redeemed for tasty Domino’s Stuffed Crust bounty. The quest has been integrated with Domino’s Facebook Page, where the first clue will be released in the next few days via a status update.

Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director at Domino’s, said: “We’re delighted to announce the integration with Facebook Deals and Domino’s Stuffed Crust Quest to generate additional buzz across social platforms and encourage pizza lovers to get onboard with our new product. We know that our Facebook fans love to interact with us and hope these activities will really help to whet their appetite for our new Domino’s Stuffed Crust.”

Domino’s Stuffed Crust features mozzarella cheese with a hint of garlic and herbs in Domino’s famous fresh dough. Domino’s Stuffed Crust is now available on all medium and large pizzas in stores across the UK.

Grab a tasty deal by checking in via Facebook or start treasure hunting with Domino’s Stuffed Crust Quest at www.facebook.com/DominosPizza.  The Facebook Deal is valid until 14th August 2011.

If you choose your airline based mainly on the food available, and, let’s face it, food up in the air often is not that great, then it seems that the Far East and the Middle East is leading the way, with Emirates coming out best in an online poll by Skyscanner, a leading comparison website. Five out of the other top nine were based in either Asian or Middle Eastern countries.

Europe was also well represented, with Germany’s Lufthansa coming second in the poll and Aeroflot of Russia coming in fourth. Air France only just about made the ten, which is a little surprising, considering the importance France places on food, and no airlines based in North America made it at all.

A total of twelve hundred people were surveyed and they were asked to rate thirty-five airlines based on three different categories.

Robin Padgett of Emirates Airlines commented that the airline was very passionate about its food and varied its menus according to the route. He was especially pleased that the award was voted by the customer, as they were usually very discerning about food.

Barry Smith of Skyscanner added that it was good to see that airline companies were placing a greater importance on food, with some of them even working with top chefs. He felt that the rise in popularity of Asian and Middle Eastern airline companies may be because in-flight food could be bland, whereas cuisine from those countries was a bit more exotic in taste.

Domino’s Pizza, the pizza delivery expert, has been crowned the country’s top pizza delivery chain by the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association (PAPA). The prestigious PAPA awards recognise the industry’s leading takeaways, restaurants and suppliers.

The Pizza Delivery Chain of the Year award recognises operators who are successfully driving the delivery and takeaway sector. It is open to companies with more than five stores, and acknowledges the highest standards in overall operation, ranging from customer service and food quality to delivery to the customer and new product development. In addition, the award also seeks to find pizza delivery businesses that are positively driving the market.

Domino’s Pizza was presented the award, based on its continued impressive growth, ambitious future plans and relentless focus on the highest quality, fresh ingredients and best possible customer service.

Andy Hirst, head of franchise development at Domino’s, said: “We are delighted to have been crowned pizza delivery chain of the year. This is a fantastic achievement, which is made even more special as we’re celebrating our 25^th anniversary this year. The current climate has created tough times for many in the industry, but we’ve always stuck to our guns and made sure we deliver not only the tastiest, highest quality pizzas to our customers but also great service too. This award is testament to the ongoing hard work and dedication of the entire Domino’s team.”

Celebrating 25 successful years in the UK, Domino’s Pizza currently has 643 stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland and plans to open 55 new stores annually. For more details on the pizza delivery chain of the year, log on to www.dominos.co.uk

With yesterday’s exciting announcement that Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married next summer, Domino’s pizza is offering some lucky couples the chance to share in their joy with a free garlic pizza bread in store.

Couples named William and Kate are being invited to come into their local Domino’s store to pick up a free garlic pizza bread to celebrate the Royals’ engagement.  To be eligible for the offer, each couple with the names “William and Kate” must both produce a valid form of photographic identification and be present at the store when collecting the order.

Georgina Wald, corporate communications manager from Domino’s said:  “The marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton will be a national celebration and Domino’s is delighted to be offering couples out there a chance to join in the excitement surrounding the announcement.”

The mouth watering Domino’s Garlic Pizza Bread is 6” pizza bread topped with 100% mozzarella cheese together with Domino’s very own tomato sauce and is perfect choice for couples looking to share a tasty treat.

Couples can drop in to their local Domino’s store today (17^th November) or tomorrow Thursday 18^th November to pick up this fantastic free offer.*  To find your nearest participating store, please visit www. dominos.co.uk

*Terms and conditions apply as follows:

• Offer valid for one free garlic pizza bread per couple with the forenames of “William” and “Kate”
• To be eligible for the offer, each couple with the names “William and Kate” (for the avoidance of doubt one individual must have the forename ‘William’ and the other individual must have the forename ‘Kate’)must both produce to the store a valid passport or driving licence (or other appropriate and valid form of photographic identification) and be present at the store when collecting the order
• Variations of the name “William” and “Kate” will be considered by the store (for example, Bill, Catherine, Kathryn) but the final decision relating to any couples eligibility to receive a few garlic pizza bread will lie with the store manager whose decision is final and binding
• Valid for collection orders only
• This offer is not available for delivery orders or via www.dominos.co.uk
• Offer is valid from 17 November 2010 to close of the store on 18 November 2010
• Offer is valid at participating stores only and whilst stocks last
• Only one free garlic pizza bread per couple per day
• Not available in conjunction with any other offer
• Offer is not transferable
• Free garlic pizza bread cannot be used as part payment for any other product
• Please mention the “William & Kate offer” when ordering
• Domino’s reserves the right to substitute this product or amend/cancel the offer or these terms at any time. Domino’s decision is final in relation to this offer and no correspondence will be entered into