BOSTON — Bakery-café chain Au Bon Pain has added Karen Glanz and Heidi Skolnik to its Nutrition Advisory Board.
Glanz is a professor of behavioral sciences and health education and epidemiology, a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Research Scholar and director of the Emory Prevention Research Center at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.
Skolnik is the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Giants football team and the School of American Ballet, and is a nutritionist at The Women's Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital of Special Surgery. Skolnik also is a contributing editor for Men's Health magazine.
Topics that the Nutrition Advisory Board has brought to Au Bon Pain's attention include the health benefits of removing trans fats from menu items and the value of switching to 100 percent all-natural chicken in the company's signature sandwiches and salads. The Nutrition Advisory Board has highlighted the importance of offering healthier, lower calorie options and smaller portion sizes.
One of the most recent health-conscious additions to the Au Bon Pain menu is a new product line called "Portions," which features a selection of 14 dishes made fresh daily, packaged individually and with 200 or less calories per dish. The new meal concept was developed as a direct response to the Nutrition Advisory Board's push for healthier, lower calorie options, while also addressing consumers' desire for smaller, lower calorie meals.
In addition to identifying ways to increase the wholesomeness of Au Bon Pain's menu, the Nutrition Advisory Board is working with Au Bon Pain to provide easy ways for consumers to find and understand the nutritional content of Au Bon Pain products. Specific tools that Au Bon Pain has developed include:
- In-store Nutrition Kiosks. Guests can access the ingredients, allergens and nutritional content of all of Au Bon Pain menu items.
- Complete nutrition information online. Full FDA nutrition information is available for every Au Bon Pain menu item at www.aubonpain.com/menu.
- Online "My Plate" application. Consumers can search online for foods that fit their specific dietary needs and build healthy, nutritious meals.
