Opinion Polls & Market Research

Have you ever wondered how we should celebrate President’s Day? Why not bring wellness to our community and world by following Suite 101’s suggestion of a fun and environmentally conscious way of commemorating Presidents’ Day. They suggest planting trees that are connected to or symbolic of our past presidents through American Forest, a non-profit group that aims to restore healthier forest ecosystems. American Forest has a Historic Trees Program that sells offspring of trees that are linked to famous American Presidents, such as George Washington, and also other famous personalities in US history, like Thomas Edison. Some of the trees that they offer are the George Washington Tulip Poplar and the Gettysburg Address Honey Locust. This is a great way of linking our history with the present and the future, as well as a fun way of giving back to the environment.

If you are interested in planting a tree without having to do it yourself, the American Forest also accepts donations towards this cause. They offer a variety of charities and organizations that plant trees and restore forests. Minimum donations range from $10-$25.

I really like the idea of enjoying the outdoors and contributing to our community through activities and donations such as this. After working up a sweat or giving a little to the community, treat yourself to a healthy meal at one of our profiled restaurants

Happy Presidents’ Day everyone!

 It should come as no surprise that many Americans eat on the go- whether they are traveling in their own car or flying around the world. Grab-and-go items are not something new as quick service restaurants continue to focus on this trend of convenience in different ways.

One domain is eating in the car. According to a Nation’s Restaurant News article, on average, a American eats 33 meals in the car each year. As a result, companies are tailoring more of its food packaging towards the car. A clear example is Burger King’s Chicken Fries that are served in a round cup similar in size to a car’s cup holder. McDonald’s Chicken Snack Wraps in which a flour tortilla encloses chicken, lettuce, and a sauce of choice is another example and has been a success for the brand.

Then there are the airports. With tighter security measures being implemented, more and more passengers have found themselves at airports two to three hours prior to their flights. In addition, many airlines only serve beverages on board. These changes have made many airport restaurants profitable and has prompted many more to also set up locations. Chains like Pizza Hut and Chili’s have created scaled down concepts of their restaurants and offer a range of grab and go items designed for immediate or on-board consumption.

What all of this goes to show is that through new packaging and scaled down locations the trend of eating on the go is becoming increasingly prevalent. At the same time, efforts to eat healthy while on the go have been gradual to appear in many mainstream chains. Often advertisements, such as those by the drive-in restaurant Sonic, focus on the convenience of the item and rarely highlight that those same items are high in calories and fat. In the end, as the trend grows, there are resources and a rising number of health-oriented restaurants making eating healthy and convenience a possibility.

Will you help me maintain my New Years Resolution through supporting my commitment to exercise AT LEAST 20 minutes EVERY day? Please support my campaign and make a donation to At The Crossroads !

You can read more about this on my Jan. 1. post.

Thank you,
-Amanda