Sunday, November 7, 1999 Oakville Beaver Weekend 5 Restaurants invited tojoin Eat Smart (Continued from page 1) "Non-smoking is an essential part of the Eat Smart program," said Chris Klugman, corporate chef for the Liberty Entertainment Group, which includes the Rosewater Supper Club, Left Bank, and Courthouse in Toronto. He is known for his `fresh market' and low-fat `enlightened' cuisine. "I know this upsets the Ontario Restaurant Association, but not smoking is an essential element of promoting public health," said Klugman, who quit smoking about three years ago. In a perfect world, all Eat Smart restau rants would be non-smoking, but he added, "I recognize market reality, and we've adjusted our non-smoking seating require ment to local bylaws." A few years ago, when the City of Toronto attempted to introduce a smoking ban in restaurants which caused an uproar among restaurant operators - Klugman was chef at a restau rant which supported the ban. "We were the first non-smoking estab lishment in the city, and despite being very busy, our revenues were down. We lost the cigar smokers who enjoy their cognac . . . after a year we reversed our policy. Klugman is the only restaurateur on the province's Eat Smart steering committee. He applauded the nutrition community and the restaurant business in joining forces to facilitate the Eat Smart program, describing the co-operative effort as a "great partnership." "Chefs as a rule aren't that knowledge able about nutrition, and dietitians don't know that much about cooking." Klugman said Eat Smart restaurants strive to offer healthy choices, but at the same time must cater to the dining out pub lic who at times crave the flavours of the tastes of higher fat foods - such as thick gravies and sauces, and rich desserts. "Our aim is not to burden the restau rants." Julia Hanna, owner of Paradiso, said restaurants are being challenged to market food that is both "delicious and healthy" to their patrons. However, she feels patrons should not have to feel they must "deprive them selves" of foods they enjoy every time they eat out, and should allow themselves to "indulge a little once in a while, and really enjoy it " Nor, should restaurants be oblig ated to "compromise recipes" in the prepa ration of certain foods to become part of Eat Smart, continued Hanna, but instead should offer low-fat alternatives as part of the menu. Agreeing with her, Klugman said a "healthy diet is a combination of a variety of foods, prepared in a variety of ways. Good cooking is a study in contrasts, the sweet and the sour, soft and crunchy, the clean pure flavours of low-fat foods, and the richness of the mouth-filling high-fat foods. "When people eat in restaurants, they want to feel good about the food they've eaten - or they won't come back." Klugman said the Eat Smart program evolved out of public demand for healthy menu choices in restaurants, and the ongo ing debate over how restaurants can better contribute to the general health of the pop ulation by offering healthy choices and smoke-free dining. Eat Smart will be implemented across Ontario over the next two years, with launch dates already set in all but three areas of the province. About 15 to 20 com munities are expected to launch Eat Smart this year. The promotion for the Eat Smart will not be "primarily targeted at the hospitality industry, but at the eating out public," said Klugman. "We want the public to recognize Eat Smart restaurants." Eat Smart is supported by the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society and Ontario Ministry of Health; and locally by Choices for Health - Halton's Heart Health & Cancer Risk Reduction Network, and the Halton Regional Health Department. Halton's Eat Smart Co-ordinat ing Committee includes repre sentatives of these supporting organizations, plus Andres Paara of Chaps Dorval and Bronte, plus two consumer rep resentatives. The committee is chaired by Lisa Mina, a nutri tionist with the Halton Regional Health Department. Restaurants interested in joining Eat Smart can call the Halton Regional Health Department at 825-6060 Ext 7802 for information about eli gibility requirements and appli cation forms. The deadline for applica tions, to be included in Halton's Eat Smart Dining Guide, is Feb. 15, 2000. The guide is to be distributed during March, Nutrition Month. FA LL S A LE! O FF 2 5% Entire Fall Collection Sale Starts November 5th S e le c t E n e r g y H eating & A ir Conditioning Inc. An C * £ N B R I D G E Company UNDER NEW MANAGE ME NT 333 Lakeshore Road E. 845-3931 Downtown Oakville L o o k to th e e x p e r ts Y oung D rive rs: W h a t e v e ry d riv in g co u rse sh o u ld b e! 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