January 2010

Supplying accurate nutritional information. Isn’t that obvious?

Don’t know about you, but lately we’ve been hearing a lot about how restaurants and frozen meal companies are saying one thing on their nutritionals, and serving up a whole other ball game.

Check out any one of these articles to see what we’re talking about:

• “The Washington Post”: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2010/01/calorie_listings_often_wrong.html
• “New York Times”:                                                                                          http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/08/health/AP-US-FEA-Food-Incorrect-Calories.html?scp=1&sq=incorrect%20nutrition%20information&st=cse
• “The Boston Globe”: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/01/08/counting_calories_you_cant_always_rely_on_frozen_food_labels/

San Diego’s CBS affiliate ran a story this month about the issue, and the reporter gave us props for weighing all of our ingredients so the dishes are consistent in flavor and the nutritional information is correct. The reporter also talks about our menu, which features 16 main bowls with 400 calories or less.

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We provide our nutritional information in our restaurants and on our Web site. Something else we do that our guests tell us is helpful is provide recommendations if you are looking for a certain type of food. For instance if you are watching calories or sodium or looking for something vegetarian, we offer menu suggestions. You can check out this handy dandy nutrition guide in the Nutrition section of our blog.  

Let us reassure you that when you’re eating at Noodles, you are what you eat.

It doesn’t just have to be a New Year’s resolution

It’s pretty much all anyone is talking about right now- the great, over thought of, often broken, New Year’s resolution.

According to www.usa.gov, some of the top ten New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight and save money. Managing all these resolutions on top of your day-to-day grind can be a challenge. We’d like to help ya out.

It’s no surprise the number one New Year’s resolution is to lose weight since 67% of American adults are either overweight or obese. We also know eating healthy while pleasing the rest of the family is a challenge. Your family needs meal options everyone can enjoy. So we’ve done our best to make it easier for you – and not just for the New Year. This is a year-round option!

• Nutritional information

Nutritional transparency is important to us.

Not only do we provide all of our nutritional information online and in our restaurants, we also give suggestions on what to eat if you are looking for a certain type of food. For instance, we make menu recommendations if you are watching calories or fat or looking for something vegetarian. You can check out our nutrition chart with this info in the Nutrition section of our blog.

• Everything is made to order

We’re picky too.

You can customize your bowl to your liking. Removing an ingredient or swapping one ingredient for another for taste or dietary preferences is welcome. Does your menu item come with mushrooms, but you don’t like mushrooms? That’s cool. Does your bowl come with macaroni pasta, but you’d like that with whole grain linguine? It’s fine! Just let us know at the register how you’d like to customize your meal.

• Something for everyone

We can please the whole family from kids to adults.

We’re a family-friendly restaurant. That means we have menu items that are simple enough for the child pallet, and complex enough to satisfy any foodie. The Buttered Noodles, Spaghetti & Meatballs and Wisconsin Mac & Cheese are great options for kids, while the Thai Curry Soup, Penne Rosa and Mushroom Stroganoff satisfy any adult craving. If you are looking for something more healthful, check out our menu options that are 400 calories or less in the Nutrition section of our blog.

• Lots of veggies

All fresh, never frozen.

A diet rich in vegetables contains beneficial antioxidants that help reduce your risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease. These antioxidants are just some of the nutritional benefits of eating vegetable, and we have 14 different ones on our menu. So go on, add some color to your bowl.

• Easy on the wallet

No tip zone.

Not only is eating at Noodles 30-40% less than other sit down restaurants, you don’t have to leave a tip! And at $4-7 a bowl, what are you waiting for?