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Church Technology Evangelist - Anthony D. Coppedge - Real Time Brainstorming ...

2009-01-09T21:05:35.484Z

I hosted a free, brief, live video & audio chat today using TokBox to help me brainstorm an idea. In 20-25 minutes, we covered a lot of ground and I left with several practical solutions.

Part of the value of Social Media Networks like Facebook, Twitter, TokBox, etc. is in the ability to have fast (sometimes instant) feedback. Before this, I’d have either called or emailed people and tried to coordinate schedules to see when I might hold a conference call (audio only). Ugh.

Today I took less than 15 minutes to make this brainstorm a reality. Coolness.

Yet making this work was more than the technology involved, it was that I, and others, have been intentional about leveraging Twitter as a very large network that’s manageable in small groups. While it’s ridiculously easy to get started with Twitter, it does require just a tad bit of effort to find people you want to follow and begin building your own group of followers.

Dallas Willard wrote, “Spirituality wrongly understood or pursued is a major ...

2009-01-09T06:47:03.727Z

Dallas Willard wrote, “Spirituality wrongly understood or pursued is a major source of human misery and rebellion against God.” (Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988, 91.) http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=3369

"So life in the kingdom is not just a matter of not doing what is wrong. The apprentices of Jesus are primarily occupied with the positive good that can be done during their days "under the sun" and the positive strengths and virtues that they develop in themselves as they grow toward "the kingdom prepared for them from the foundations of the world" (Matt. 25:34). What they, and God, get out of their lifetime is chiefly the person they become. And that is why their real life is so important." -- "How To Be a Disciple" by Dallas Willard http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=336

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/009/27.45.html
A Divine Conspirator
Dallas Willard is on a quiet quest to subvert nominal Christianity.
by Christine A. Scheller | posted 09/08/2006
Willard says the intersection between his philosophical and devotional work can be found in the simple question: Who are you going to become?

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2005/003/2.20.html
The Apprentices
What is spiritual formation? And how does a church do it? A professor and pastor discuss the new language of making disciples.
The problem, Willard says, is that we do not practice spiritual formation. Churches have not designed their ministries to help people believe and behave differently, because many church leaders have simply gotten the message of Jesus wrong.

Living A Transformed Life Adequate To Our Calling
Previously unpublished. Prepared for The Augustine Group, 2005.
http://dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=119
To fulfill the high calling which God has placed upon us in creating us and redeeming us, we must have the right inner substance or character. We must come to grips with who we really are, inside and out. For we will do what we are. So we will need to become the kind of people who routinely and easily walk in the goodness and power of Jesus our Master. For this, a process of "spiritual formation"—really, transformation—is required.

Kingdom Living
http://dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=92

AP Your teaching on the kingdom highlights some of the differences between the charismatic and evangelicals. Charismatics emphasise manifestation, evangelicals Bible teaching. Are you saying they are both wrong?

DW Exactly. If you ask ‘how is it wrong?’ I would say that neither manifestation, nor teaching transforms character. Charismatics flail at the dead horse of experience, evangelicals at teaching, but neither leads to transformation spiritually. The only thing that transforms us spiritually is the action of following Christ. You seek to follow, you fail and you learn. But in order to engage in following, you have to have a clear understanding of life in the kingdom of God; that you are accepted by the grace of God in Jesus and that lays the foundation for as much true doctrine as you can manage and as much manifestation of the Spirit as you can stand.

How Does the Disciple Live?
http://dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=103

How the disciple lives naturally comes out of who the disciple is.

Dr. Dallas Willard - Interview by Bob Buford for Finishing Well
http://www.halftime.org/bobsnotes/interview.cfm
I'll put it in these terms, they know about these things but they do not believe them. They profess to believe them because they're expected to, but profession of belief doesn't carry the action. Only real belief carries action, and we're in a context where we have millions and millions of people who are professing Christians that do not believe what they profess because they've been taught the important thing is to profess it whether you believe it or not, and God would like that.

ENERGY & JOY: Taking God's Keys
The keys of the kingdom also unlock the joys of your calling.
http://dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=26
The abundance of God is not passively received, and does not happen to us by chance. The abundance of God is claimed and put into action by our active, intelligent pursuit of it. We must act in union with the flow of God's kingdom life that comes through our relationship with Jesus.

We cannot do this, of course, purely on our own. But we must act. Grace is contrasted with earning but not with effort. Well-directed, decisive, and sustained effort is the key to the keys of the kingdom and to the life of restful power in ministry.

Tip No.210 - Words that sting and words that heal Words that sting. ...

2009-01-09T06:38:40.592Z

Tip No. 210 - Words that sting and words that heal

Words that sting.

Over the years, I have been the recipient of words by others that cut deep and scarred my self-esteem. I also know that there have been times that I have spoken words to hurt others whether out of anger, insecurity, frustration or stress. Either way as the recipient or the giver these words are spoken:

-out of spite

-to inflict pain

-to get even

-to manipulate or control

-out of ignorance

-out of insecurity

-out of frustration

-out of anxiety

-out of pain

-out of arrogance

Each of us have or have had people in our life - friends, strangers,

family members, and fellow employees - who, for whatever reason, have

sent biting, hurtful words our way. Often, these people are not even aware

of the pain they cause us, unless we tell them.

What are some examples of words that sting? It depends. Some

simple, ordinary and positive words used in a negative context or

with a negative tone or with a condescending and patronizing attitude

can be just as damaging. Here are a few examples of some common

words that can sting.

-You never.

-You should.

-You always.

-You are wrong.

-You need to change.

-Don't do 'whatever'.

-I can never forgive you.

-You don't understand.

-If you cared/loved me you would____.

-I can't believe you said that.

-Anything that invalidates the other person.

-Anything that is meant to manipulate the other person.

-Anything that is meant to inflict pain on the other person.

Life is perceptual. Each of us reacts uniquely to the words used by others. One person's words sent with a vindictive spirit can bounce off one person, but

damage another for life.

What can we do if we have to deal with people on a regular basis who have the habit of sending these 'words that sting?' A few thoughts:

1. Fight back with stinging words of your own. Not a recipe for effective relationships.

2. Defend yourself.

3. Make the other person aware of how his/her words affect you.

4. Ignore them. Often difficult, folks.

5. Show them how their negative communication impacts the relationship.

Words that heal.

When we string together different words in our communication, we can cause: anger, frustration, joy, happiness, sadness, and a variety of other positive and negative emotions in the other person. There are, however, a few very short sentences that can go a long way to heal a relationship. Some of these are:

1. I understand.

2. Please forgive me.

3. I am sorry.

4. I like you just the way you are.

5. I forgive you.

6. You are right.

7. It's going to be OK.

8. I accept you.

9. You are loveable.

10. You are loved.

11. You are important.

12. You are special.

13. I love you just the way you are.

14. I really like you.

15. You are so; clever, smart, creative, nice, thoughtful etc.

Let's summarize. What we are talking about here is being nice, kind and loving with your partner vs. intolerant, hateful and non-accepting. I suggest you take a close look at some of your relationships that seemed to be filled with anxiety and stress to see how your words are contributing to less than favorable conditions - regardless of whether you are on the giving or receiving end.

Leadership is an art to be learned over time, not simply by reading books. Le...

2009-01-09T06:38:19.583Z

Leadership is an art to be learned over time, not simply by reading books. Leadership is more a weaving of relationships than an amassing of information…and thus hard to pin down in every detail. (from Max Dupree)

The Hub Magazine: Connect the Dots: Issue 27

2008-11-10T19:56:03.089Z

Al Wittemen, TracyLocke

How consumers behave online informs what brands should do at retail.

You might think that you don’t have a “second” life, but if you’re on the internet, you do. We all do. Not only that, but our first and second lives are colliding.

When you think about it, the thing that makes that second life so appealing is that it gives us a level of control that mostly eludes us in our first lives. We know exactly where everything is, and usually can find what we want when and where we want it. We have these great conversations that begin and end as we please.

If only our first lives could be as simple, efficient and orderly as our second lives! Well, the good news is, more and more of us are doing what we can to try to make that dream a reality. The pertinent news, from a business perspective, is that a few packaged goods companies are starting to explore this nexus of our two lives and accruing impressive dividends to their shopper marketing strategies.

For example, have you visited Procter & Gamble’s Tide.com site? It’s absolutely brilliant from a shopper marketing perspective. When you click on any of the various products, the entire shelf set comes up in a flash movie. If you remember, a few years ago every P&G shelf set was standardized so that it is nearly identical from store to store. This allows consumers to have an experience with Tide in any store, in the comfort of their own homes.

So, the next time you go to the store and you’re looking for that P&G product, you have a good idea where that product sits and what it looks like. Most people probably don’t even think about what has changed, but it creates a marker in their minds about where that particular product is in the store. It helps them navigate the store more easily.

If the idea of people interacting online with jugs of detergent sounds like an unlikely scenario, think again. A three-month long, collaborative study by comScore, Procter & Gamble, Yahoo and SEMPO found that “a majority of U.S. consumers visited websites for CPG product categories.”

The best part is that P&G is collecting information about its customers along the way that its retail partners didn’t already know — the kind of information that grows sales, builds loyalty and feeds innovation. The implications of this are huge because it means that the “first moment of truth” — the very premise of shopper marketing — can actually happen before the consumer is even in the store. It puts tremendous clout back in the hands of CPG companies.

Better, Faster, Stronger

The digital world is making shopper marketing better, faster and stronger. Retailers are now sharing traffic and sales data and analytics faster. Manufacturers are sharing better and more granular insights, too. Digital has created a very different context for the retailer-manufacturer relationship that’s nothing like it was even five years ago.

Digital also addresses the issue of speed, which is essential today because the marketplace is moving at such a fast clip. In the CPG world, programs are on the floor for only 2-4 weeks. By today’s standards, they only get feedback 45 days later and there’s no way for shopper marketers to really change or augment what they’re trying to do.

Somehow, we’ve got to be able to build speed into our strategies, and digital gives us a way to do that. In that respect, digital is in a league of its own. ACNeisen offers a 45-day feedback period, while for HomeScan and Yahoo, it’s 30 days minimum. Wal-Mart has got it down to 14 days with its Smart Network. But in a digital environment, your feedback is available within hours. Wherever that digital tactic is, when you push people there, you begin to read it immediately.

Most important, digital is the way to amplify shopper-marketing programs and make them relevant to shoppers at home, outside the home as well as in the store. This is as it must be because engagement demands relevance. The world of creativity has gone so far beyond where it needs to go. So much of marketing is big, bold, splashy and interruptive, but it is not always relevant.

Relevance are things that may be a little softer, but more meaningful in our lives. You have to have some relevance with people’s lives to connect with them on an emotional level.

That usually means looking for solutions that align with the tasks that we’re trying to accomplish. We are not looking for freedom of choice as much as freedom from choice — an edited set of possibilities that make our lives simpler.

We have so much choice today in our daily lives that we really start to drill down our consideration set. Where we once had one soda, we now have 80 different sodas. Where we previously had ten feet of one particular product, we now have 80 feet. People in general are just saying that the world has become too much of a Chinese menu. They’re saying, be an expert for me, lead me down that path and then let me make my choices.

Freedom from choice is one of the reasons Martha Stewart has been so successful in the paint category. People want somebody with authority to help them make a decision and give them the correct consideration set because there is so much to be decided upon, especially when it comes to paint.

People just want someone to tell them how to match up colors because they’re not good at it. So, Martha Stewart took that spectrum of colors down to the top 200 and matched everything for everybody and became the queen of paint sales. She gave people freedom from choice and Sears a rock-star category.

A Digital Strategy

The question is, how to connect “first” and “second” lives — online and offline behavior — to amplify shopper-marketing strategies? At TracyLocke, we start by creating what we call “personas.” We do this because it gives the shopper and consumer a seat at the table in the process. We actually draw this persona down to an individual with a name, although she represents a group.

This helps us understand her personal profile, her key behaviors and attitudes, her motivation, where she indexes under and over in terms of retailers. So, for instance, maybe Sam’s Club needs to look at what Safeway is doing that’s attracting a particular type of shopper. It’s not that Sam’s Club should emulate Safeway, but rather identify what it is about Safeway that this shopper finds so satisfying, and how to win her over.

We look at the brands that she uses and her media consumption, and it really starts to draw a picture of whom we’re trying to talk to as we roll out our campaigns. Based on this information, we identify what we believe is a likely path to purchase for her both online and offline. It’s all based on what she responds to, what guides and informs her, and gives her “freedom from choice” in her life.

So, the digital strategy helps us become more “micro” in our ability to develop unique programs that fit shoppers’ profiles in a way that’s relevant in their lives, the ways they want to shop and see information. We’ve got real learning from real shoppers in real environments. Instead of trying to guess at what consumers do, we can get a good understanding of what they actually are doing by creating a dialogue with them.

Our conversation with consumers and shoppers today is one way; we send them our advertisements and promotions. But we now live in a conversational culture because of the internet and what it’s allowed people to do. If you want to get to know anybody, you have to have a conversation with them. Shoppers and consumers want to have conversations with brands that are relevant to them.

Much of this conversation is happening online. That’s where engagement starts. We’ve got to be able to bring that conversation back into the brand experience and back into the brand idea to refine it in a continuous feedback loop.

It’s very much like what direct marketing does. Every time you engage with a consumer at a digital touch-point, you have a “breadcrumb.” It’s measurable, and we can look at how it changes over time. It literally creates a learning platform about shoppers. Shopper marketers who connect the dots will have at their disposal a continuum of learning over a long period of time, over multiple kinds of shoppers and consumers.

Of course, these personas are just a starting point. The real goal is to measure what we learn as we go, and then plug that intelligence into a long-term learning plan that drives innovation, enables wiser decisions and makes the shopping experience better for us all.

AL WITTEMEN is managing director of retail strategy for TracyLocke. He has 35 years of experience in marketing, sales and shopper marketing of consumer packaged goods. Al can be reached at awittemen@tracylocke.com or (214) 259-3531.

Subscribe to The Hub

Cruising in clunkers for a cause | car, people, foster, live, club - News - O...

2008-12-09T21:04:38.443Z

Cruising in clunkers for a cause

Members of the Irvine-based Junky Car Club drive older cars and donate what would be their new car payments to charity.

By NIYAZ PIRANI

The Orange County Register

COSTA MESA – Most people trade in their clunkers for an upgrade. Mike Foster wants people to trade in their upgrades for clunkers.

Only a few years ago, Foster, a Corona resident, was driving around in a brand new 2004 Infinity G35 Sport Coupe when he realized that "there has to be more to life than driving my pimp daddy car."

He sold it and paid cash to his parents for a 1993 Toyota Camry that he lovingly calls "Green Gremlin." The windshield is cracked, the car smells funny and the air conditioning is messed up but Foster couldn't be happier.

He began taking those car payments – about $600 a month – and donated them to charity. He founded the Junky Car Club through his nonprofit organization Ethur in 2006 and runs the club out of donated office space in Irvine.

The club now touts 3,000 members that live as far as Russia and the Philippines. Those members account for "tens of thousands" of dollars donated to Compassion International, a Christian nonprofit that works to improve the lives of impoverished children throughout the world.

"It would be nice drive up with a nicer car, but for me the Camry is kind of a mission," Foster said. "I've turned my vehicle, my form of transportation, into a mission. I know when I'm driving that car I'm helping others."

In 2009, the Junky Car Club plans to focus on mobile homelessness and support people who live in their cars. Foster said that because it is illegal to live in a car, there are no solid statistics, but he believes that, based on research, approximately 5,000 people live in cars in Southern California.

One of those people is Kathleen McWilliams of Harbor City, who was on hand for the Festival of Clunkers car show at The Camp in Costa Mesa on Saturday. She has lived in a 1982 Dodge Ram Custom with her eight-month-old son Ezekiel and her dog Zodi since February.

McWilliams works part time at her church's bookstore and does charity work when she can and said that living in the van has taken its toll.

"Mentally and emotionally I'm just overwhelmed because I want so much more for him," she said. "It's cold at night. Physically it's rough because we don't have a shower or a restroom inside of there so you can imagine the obstacles. But as far as love, we've got a lot of love."

She said that she's lucky, because some people don't even have vans to live in. She plans on using money from her part-time job and welfare for project housing, for which she is currently on a waiting list.

Chad Houck, who lives in a recreational vehicle with his wife and two children, travels the country inspiring people to help others. He found out about the car club at a leadership conference in Atlanta and said he can relate to the cause because he was homeless in college.

Houck lived in his truck for three months after he was evicted because his roommates spent his rent money and left in the middle of the night. He kept a gun in his truck because he was scared for his own safety, but said he is now in a position to use his experiences to try and defeat mobile homelessness.

"Simply saying 'No, not in my backyard' or 'You're not going to park in my neighborhood' and shutting off opportunities and closing doors doesn't solve the problem," he said. "it just pushes it off to where you can't see it."

Contact the writer: 714-445-6689 or npirani@ocregister.com

Webex vs. Yugma vs. GoToMeeting - Who wins? « Webex vs Yugma

2008-12-12T21:30:05.274Z

Webex vs. Yugma vs. GoToMeeting - Who wins?

November 2, 2008

Yugma, the new alternative to WebEx

Yugma is the new online conferencing service that kills Webex in terms of quality and pricing (Comment me if you feel different). Someone mentioned the Yugma service over at InsideCRM online magazine and I decided to check it out. These guys are good from what I see. We know that WebEx’s lowest plan starts $39 a month for only 15 users. GoToMeeting starts at $49 a month and Turbo meeting is a piece of horse manure (personal experience), so don’t use it. Check the chart from Yugam out below. More features, and conference attendees for less. They impress me (not easy to do) and here are their feature sets, tell me what you think.

Services	Pro-20	Pro-100	Pro-500
Attendees you can invite	20	100	500
Pricing Monthly	19.99	69.95	89.95
Desktop Sharing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Free Teleconferencing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Public and Private Chat	Yes	Yes	Yes
Customizable Widget	Yes	Yes	Yes
Windows, Mac and Linux	Yes	Yes	Yes
MS Outlook and Skype compatiblity	Yes	Yes	Yes
Share Mouse & Keyboard controls with other attendess	Yes	Yes	Yes
Change Presenter	Yes	Yes	Yes
Annotations & Whiteboarding Tools	Yes	Yes	Yes
Schedule Sessions	Yes	Yes	Yes
Web Session Recording, Playback and Hosted Webcast	Yes	Yes	Yes
Shared File Space (100MB)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Webinar feature (Professional 100 & 500 only)	No	Yes	Yes
Priority Customer Support	Email, Phone and WebEmail

Collaboration vs. Sharing

Since Yugma excels in its screen sharing capacity, the real power of Yugma lies in its real time collaboration capabilities.

With Yugma, multiple people can collaborate in any program, sharing mouse and keyboard capability in real time. The whiteboard feature of Yugma allows for virtual brainstorming sessions, either in or outside of meetings. The annotation tool allows for one or multiple people to edit or provide comments on work in progress.

While many of “the other guys” focus on old school meetings like structured collaboration, Yugma focuses on two types of collaboration: spontaneous (this happens often) and structured collaboration.

Yugma Professional Features

Yugma Professional offers a extreme set of features to meet the needs of any business. Here are the brief highlights of just some of the features you get with Yugma Professional:

Yugma Viewer

Allow meeting participants to quickly connect and view your meetings without having to download or register for Yugma.

Mouse & Keyboard Sharing

Collaborate in any program in real time with one or multiple people, whether they are in the same office or across the globe.

Annotation and Whiteboard tools

With these easy-to-use integrated tools you can brainstorm in real time, edit documents, or just add some flair to your presentations

Session Scheduling

Schedule your meetings and send invites in advance. Keep track of your scheduled sessions on Yugma’s integrated calendar.

Session Recording, Playback, an Hosted Webcast

Record important meetings or demos for later viewing. No codecs or file compatibility issues, your recorded sessions will be hosted by Yugma and playback in any browser.

Shared File Space

Avoid important files getting trapped in virus or spam filters by posting files for clients or colleagues in Yugma’s shared file space.

Yugma Enterprise Features

In addition to all the powerful features you get with Yugma Professional, Yugma Enterprise users also get some key features to help manage Yugma across a larger organization, such as group account administration, consolidated billing, and a branded meeting portal page.

For more information about our Enterprise Service, check out their website at yugma.com.

Yugma’s Satisfaction Guarantee

Yugma is commited to providing our Professional and Enterprise customers the best service and support. We promise 99.9% or better service availability. If you are not satisfied within the first 30 days of your one year contract, we’ll refund your remaining balance.

We also provide live technical support during business hours via phone, email, and live chat. Email and voice mail inquiries made during non-business hours will receive a response as soon as possible the next business day.

Yugma for Business Pricing

Yugma Professional starts at just $19.95 a month for 20 attendees. We have service plans to fit any size business, up to 500 concurrent users.

______________________

That’s a wrap, these are new huys I will be using for my online conference from here on out. I doubt I will go back to Webex or GoToMeeting ever again. It seems the new guys like to push the envelope while the old guys rake in the menoy and don’t really bring anything innovative anymore. Do you agree?

The High Price of Cheap Eats - NYTimes.com

2008-12-12T21:31:33.608Z

The High Price of Cheap Eats

By RONI CARYN RABIN

Published: December 11, 2008

Dollar “value meals” at fast food restaurants may not be such a bargain when you look at the potential health costs.

Many of these low-cost menu items are packed with fat, salt, cholesterol and processed meat, notes The Cancer Project, a nonprofit cancer prevention organization. The group has produced a list of what it says are the five unhealthiest items sold at the nation’s largest fast food chains.

The organization’s dieticians reviewed so-called value menus at five of the largest fast food chains in the nation, awarding points for such unhealthy characteristics as sodium, fat and low-fiber content. Jack in the Box’s junior bacon cheeseburger topped the list as the worst offender. The burger costs just one dollar but is packed with 23 grams of fat, including 8 grams of saturated fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol and 860 milligrams of sodium and just one gram of fiber.

The Cancer Project is affiliated with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which aggressively promotes a low-fat, vegetarian diet. The organization’s list was spurred in part by a concern that during tough economic times, more people will resort to eating inexpensive fast foods, said Krista Haynes, a dietitian with the project.

A spokeswoman for Jack in the Box said that the junior bacon cheeseburger is a “great value” but that diners may also choose from healthier options, like salads and a fruit cup. They’re more expensive, however: an entrée salad with grilled chicken strips is $4.99, and a fruit cup is $2.29.

“Our guests can also customize their order, so if you’re dining on a budget you have a lot of choices at Jack in the Box,” said Kathleen Anthony, media relations manager at Jack in the Box.

The other four menu items on the cancer group’s list were:

* In second-worst place, the 89-cent Taco Bell cheesy double beef burrito, with 460 calories, 20 grams of fat and a whopping 1,620 milligrams of sodium.

* In third-worst place was the one-dollar Burger King breakfast sausage biscuit, with 27 grams of fat, including 15 grams of saturated fat and over 1,000 milligrams of sodium.

* Fourth worst went to the one-dollar McDonald’s McDouble, which contains 19 grams of fat and 65 milligrams of cholesterol.

* Last, and least-worst, was the Wendy’s junior bacon cheeseburger, for $1.53, with 310 calories and 16 grams of fat.

Being overweight can increase the risk for diabetes and heart disease, and the American Cancer Society recommends limiting high-fat foods, which are associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.

But Alice H. Lichtenstein, director of the cardiovascular nutrition laboratory at Tufts University in Boston, questioned whether the declining economy would have much effect on people’s eating habits.

“It would be nice if they decided it was better for their budget to start preparing food at home more often," she said.

America’s Healthiest Restaurants: Our List of the Best Casual Dining Spots - ...

2008-12-12T21:49:05.833Z

America’s Healthiest Restaurants: Our List of the Best Casual Dining Spots

Uno Chicago Grill
unos.com

If you haven’t been to your local Uno’s recently, you’re in for a great surprise. Sure, its famous deep-dish (read high-fat) pizzas still hold court, but nutrition has become the word of the day with a completely trans fat–free menu and plenty of grilled entrees (including antibiotic-free chicken). Adding to the healthy variety: whole-grain pasta and brown rice, organic coffee and tea, and flatbread pizzas that have half the calories of deep-dish ones. Plus, you can add a salad to your pizza for half-price because, according to the menu, “We want you to get some greens in your diet.” Now that’s a blue-ribbon commitment to health. Another reason Uno’s is at the top of our list: You know what you’re eating. In the lobbies of most of the restaurant’s locations, there are Nutrition Information Centers that detail ingredients, fat and sodium contents, and calories and fiber of every item, in addition to gluten-free options.

Danger zone: Deep-dish pizzas can pile on the fat.

We love: The Penne Bolognese—just 16 grams of fat (well within the daily recommended max of 65 grams of fat for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet).

Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes
souplantation.com

Can a buffet-style restaurant—that symbol of American overindulgence—possibly be one of the healthiest restaurants in the country? It can in this case, because this salad-soup-and-bakery eatery (Southern California locations are named Souplantation, everywhere else they’re called Sweet Tomatoes) uses produce so fresh that it’s guaranteed to have been “in the ground” 24 hours before it’s in a refrigerated truck on its way to the restaurant. At the salad bar you’ll find seasonal vegetables like squash and bell peppers, freshly tossed and prepared salads, and a great range of nonfat dressings. San Marino Spinach With Pumpkin Seeds and Cranberries, anyone? This is paradise for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone who’s looking for a low-sodium, low-fat, high-nutrient meal outside the home.

Danger zone: Plate overload—after all, it’s all-you-can-eat.

We love: The Tomato Spinach Whole Wheat pasta, a delicious combo of whole grains and veggies.

Mimi’s Cafe
mimiscafe.com

This cozy café-style restaurant transforms normally less-than-healthy foods into better—and still tasty—options: a half-pound cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce (that’s right, no bun); the cutely named Naked French Market Onion Soup, served without cheese. Another thing to love is the way that Mimi’s clearly steers you toward its healthy options. Its “Lifestyle Menu” points you to low-carb picks like the fish of the day served with fresh steamed veggies. Also, Mimi’s keeps portions small, so you can get away with occasionally having one of their more indulgent entrees like the Sweet & Sour Coconut Shrimp (608 calories).

Danger zone: The “Comfort Classics” page of the menu, with throwbacks like rich (super-high-fat) Chicken Cordon Bleu.

We love: Chicken & Fruit (above)—grilled chicken and a garden salad, plus wedges of fresh orange, honeydew, watermelon, and cantalope.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
pfchangs.com

Take the best aspects of Asian cuisine—a combination of fresh vegetables and protein—surround them with healthy influences such as whole-grain brown rice, wild-caught, sustainable Alaskan salmon, and all-natural chicken, and you have a recipe for delicious, healthy dining. Wok-based cooking (which requires less oil) using soybean oil keeps fat contents low, and less sodium in the sauces rounds out P.F. Chang’s healthy take on Chinese food.

Special credit goes to their nutritional information being based on the whole entrée, not a single serving like at most places.

Danger zone: Traditional, fat-dense items such as Lo Mein Beef.

We love: Carb-free vegetarian lettuce wraps—wok-seared tofu, red onions, and water chestnuts with mint and lime, set in lettuce cups.

Bob Evans Restaurants
bobevans.com

You wouldn’t think a restaurant that prides itself on sausage could muscle its way into the top five healthiest restaurants in the country. But Bob Evans scores high on its dinner menu, which has plenty of low-carb, low-fat entrees and alternatives for children and adults (chicken tenders that are grilled instead of fried, potato-crusted flounder, and salmon stir-fry). Look for sides like steamed broccoli florets and fresh fruit, and enjoy old-fashioned family meals in a modern, nutrition-forward way.

Danger zone: Breakfast, where bacon and sausage are kings.

We love: Healthy options on the kid’s menu, like slow-roasted turkey with mashed potatoes and glazed baby carrots, and fruit and yogurt dippers for dessert.

Ruby Tuesday
rubytuesday.com

If we’d done this survey in 2004, Ruby Tuesday might have won the blue ribbon for printing all its nutritional content right on the menu. It was revolutionary, and, frankly, it didn’t last. But the healthy ethos survived in the chain’s ingredients: organic greens, hormone-free chicken, trans fat–free frying oil, and better-for-you beverages including Jones organic teas and made-to-order drinks like all natural lemonades (think real fruit and juice). It’s easy to find the good stuff—it’s highlighted—and the offerings range from a chicken wrap in a whole-wheat tortilla to broiled tilapia.

Danger zone: Comfort-food entrees like Gourmet Chicken Potpie, which piles more than half your daily calories on the plate.

We love: That they’ve even healthied-up the burgers, offering veggie and turkey versions.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill
macaronigrill.com

This Italian eatery puts its entire menu’s nutritional content online, so you know before you go what to steer clear of—mainly, the massive baked pastas. But what pushed Macaroni Grill onto our best list is its “Sensible Fare” menu, with entrees like Simple Salmon, a grilled fillet sided by grilled asparagus and broccoli. Grazie for whole-wheat penne available as a substitute in any dish. And bravo for including a grilled skinless chicken breast with steamed broccoli and pasta on the kid’s menu.

Danger zone: Heavy entrees like spaghetti and meatballs with meat sauce.

We love: The delicious Italian sorbetto and biscotti—just 330 calories and 4 grams of fat.

Chevy’s Fresh Mex
chevys.com

Chevy’s makes a big deal out of the “fresh” in its name, and with good reason—no cans in the restaurant, fresh salsa blended every hour, fresh avocados smashed every day for guacamole, and watch-them-made tortillas. All oils are trans fat–free, and the Mexican-style fare has lots of healthy options including Grilled Fish Tacos.

Danger zone: Sodium counts. To get below 1,000 milligrams, you’ll need to get those Chicken Fajitas with no tortillas, tomalito, rice, sour cream, or guacamole.

We love: Fresh fish of the day, grilled and served on a skillet with homemade salsa.

Olive Garden
olivegarden.com

Like Macaroni Grill, this Italian eatery has great-for-you options, as long as you keep your wits about you (again, avoid the baked pastas!). Use the olive-branch icon on the menu to find low-fat “Garden Fare” items such as Venetian Apricot Chicken, (448 calories, 11 grams fat). Even the fries aren’t a disaster, because they’re done in trans fat–free oil. You can grab some whole-grain goodness, too, by choosing the whole-wheat linguine at dinner as a substitute for any pasta.

Danger zone: The non-olive-branch entrees. Olive Garden provides no nutritional information on anything else on the menu.

We love: The low-fat Capellini Pomodoro (644 calories and 14 grams fat).

Denny’s
dennys.com

Yes, the home of the Lumberjack Slam and Moons Over My Hammy offers lots of skinny options to counter its fatty mainstays. “Fit-Fare” dishes such as the grilled-chicken-breast salad, and tilapia with rice and veggies, each have less than 15 grams of fat. Denny’s also posts full nutritional information on its Web site. Its use of trans fats to cook its French fries kept it from landing higher on our list, but the rest of the fried food is trans fat–free.

Danger zone: Breakfast specials, especially the Meat Lover’s Scramble, which is as bad for you as it sounds.

We love: The online nutritional chart has Weight Watchers Food Exchange Values.

America’s Healthiest Restaurants: Shining Examples of Fast-Food Fare - Health...

2008-12-12T21:47:33.529Z

America’s Healthiest Restaurants: Shining Examples of Fast-Food Fare

Noodles & Company
noodles.com
Why does this Colorado-based chain top our quick-serve list? Noodles & Company combines 19 fresh vegetables with seven types of pastas in Asian, Mediterranean, or American entrees (think Indonesian Peanut Sauté or Wisconsin Mac & Cheese).

We love: The Trio—soup, noodles, or salad paired with your favorite protein, plus a side salad or a cup of soup.

Chipotle Mexican Grill
chipotle.com
The idea is simple: Build your own gourmet burrito, fajita burrito, taco, or burrito bowl. The flavor and the healthiness are in the details—naturally raised, antibiotic-free meats, organic beans, and even hormone-free sour cream. Corn tortillas give you a whole-grain option, and the tortilla-less Burrito Bowl lets you ramp up the proteins and veggies.

We love: Anything with the chipotle-adobo-marinated grilled steak.

Cosi
getcosi.com
Any chain that calls small appetizers “Shareables” has the healthy idea down. Cosi’s central theme—the hearth—yields tasty hearth-baked entrees (in the locations where they serve dinner), from Alpine Chicken to Grilled Wild Alaskan Salmon. High marks for baby carrots as a substitute for chips to go along with sandwiches.

We love: The delicious, healthy fruit smoothies in a green tea base.

Panera
panerabread.com
The bread is fresh and tempting (and you can go whole-grain). But look to Panera’s soups for great low-calorie and low-sodium options. Fresh fruit cups and apples make for healthy sides, and we give the restaurant special kudos for offering kids’ meals that come with organic cheese and all-natural peanut butter.

We love: “You Pick Two” combos. You can get half a sandwich paired with a vegetarian soup

Au Bon Pain
aubonpain.com
This chain boasts hormone-and antibiotic-free chicken. Plus, it provides a great nonfood nutritional tool: computerized kiosks available in most locations allow you to plan your meal and even sort the menu by your goal—whether it be high fiber and protein; or low carb, fat, cholesterol, sodium, or calories.

We love: The restaurant’s recent move to using preservative-free chicken, for better flavor and less sodium.