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Big News: Foodstand is now a part of Diet ID!

April 10, 2019

Dear Fellow Foodstander,

We launched Foodstand to help each of you make healthy eating the easier choice. Tens of thousands of you in over 85 countries have proven that it is possible – small shifts each day can lead to massive changes — weight loss, improvement in A1C levels, more energy, and overall healthfulness, and we are SO inspired by each of you. The magic of building new habits lies between the relationships that support us.

We’re excited to share that Foodstand is embarking on a new relationship that will similarly bring magic to our community and hundreds of thousands of others around the world. Foodstand is now a part of Diet ID, a digital health company founded by the illustrious Dr. David Katz (you’ve probably heard about him from us!), focused on the same mission as Foodstand. Diet ID has built a revolutionary dietary assessment and tracking tool to help you figure out where you are with your eating habits and where you need to go, using an elegant, photo-based pattern recognition system. Our complementary technologies will work together to finally bring to the world the first of its kind solution to help you navigate the journey of reaching dietary success, one day at a time.

The Foodstand app will continue to operate for the time being, so you can continue kicking butt at your Challenges and sharing your wins. Our team will also be joining the rockstar Diet ID team, so feel free to stay in touch with us.

We just want to reiterate how grateful we are for each of you – especially those who were brave enough to share your stories, challenges, and wins with us. Changing how we eat is the single biggest thing we can do to improve our health and the health of our planet, but it is EXTREMELY hard! Our commitment to making healthy eating easier is unwavering, and we’re excited to continue pursuing this goal within the Diet ID family.

We’re looking forward to taking you on this journey with us!

 

Much love,

Rachna & Udi

From the Team

Introducing Foodstand for Teams

October 12, 2017

introducing foodstand for teams

Autumn greetings from Foodstand! It has been busy at Foodstand headquarters, and we want to take a moment to update you about an exciting development that we’ve been cooking.

Did you know that we are twice as likely to succeed at developing a new habit if we do it with a buddy? You probably do, which is why so many of you have connected with each other on the Foodstand app’s buddies tab, and regularly engage in the community forum—sharing your Challenge experiences and successes, asking questions, and showing support for one another’s good eating habits. But what if you could take that group accountability one step further? Well, now you can!

Introducing Foodstand for Teams. Within the last year we launched Foodstand’s Team Challenges across schools, universities and workplaces—allowing groups of individuals to work together toward better health, one bite at a time. And we are happy to report that our teams see a completion rate of over 70 percent.

Better employee, student and family health begins with better food choices each day—small changes make a huge impact. Increasingly, employers are seeing the effect of wellness programs on employees’ happiness and performance, and on their companies’ bottom lines. And educators have begun to notice the impact that a healthy diet has (through good nutrition education and implementation) on the ability for their students to learn.

Foodstand for Teams allows groups of individuals to build the ‘rules for good eating’ joyfully into daily life together, using simple tracking on our mobile-first, turnkey platform to enable lasting change and deliver profound effects. Our detailed weekly reports—customized for your team—reveal trends, behaviors, outcomes, retention and more. This is not a passive program. Our goal is to improve our impact by providing your company or school with a custom-fit program including personalized education (video and in-person workshops), and intraoffice/intraschool competitions to suit your unique needs.

“The Challenge was a good one for PS20, and fit an area we were tying to improve. We liked the community feel to the Challenge, and that students, teachers, and parents could nudge each other or congratulate each other.”
– Christine Drago, Health Educator at PS20, New York, NY

“I’m definitely feeling less hungry, am not craving snacks/sweets as much and have actually lost a few pounds.”
– Anonymous, WeWork, Detroit, MI

“I got into the habit of choosing water over other things.”
– Anonymous, University of Michigan

“The easy button to congratulate or nudge teammates was fun.”
– Anonymous, University of Michigan

Does your company need turnkey worksite wellness your team will actually love? Would you like to see an approachable good eating program implemented at your school that’s fun for the whole family? We currently have a diverse group of amazing teams engaged in our Foodstand for Teams program, and we’d love for your team jump onboard. Visit our brand new Foodstand for Teams page online to learn more and schedule a demo.

See you on the app!
-The Foodstand Team

Features From the Team

June Healthy Eating Q&A

June 29, 2017

LIVE WITH RACHNA + ANNE

You asked great questions, and we have answers! Rachna and I talk Challenges, cravings, recipes, sugar, and more. If you have a question that you’d like us to answer in our next Q&A, send me (@annefood) a direct message on the Foodstand app, or simply post on app. Happy watching!

From the Team

WE DID IT TOGETHER

December 28, 2016

foodstand-by-the-numbers-infographic

Foodstanders knocked it out of the park this year! Each and every one of you worked incredibly hard at developing good eating habits, one day and one choice at a time. On top of that, we all did it together—congratulating each other’s successes, giving words of encouragement, and sharing helpful hints and tips with the community. You’re creating a healthier you, and a healthier planet. Give yourself a big pat on the back for all of your accomplishments! You deserve it.

Don’t forget to keep up the great work this upcoming new year! Continue rocking your Challenge and start 2017 on the right foot—you’ve got this!

From the Team

TOP TIPS & FAQS OF THE WEEK

November 14, 2016

foodstand_faqs

Each and every one of you Foodstanders is an inspiration! Be sure and take a moment to pat yourself on the back, and thank yourself for making awesome changes in your life, one day at a time. In the last week we’ve avoided over 450,000 grams of sugar, and consumed 20,000 glasses of water! #HighFives to everyone for working so hard to build lasting healthy eating habits.

A huge welcome to all new Foodstanders! We’re so glad you’ve decided to build good eating habits and make the better choice when it comes to what you put into your bodies. You’re worth it! Since there are so many new folks in the community, we want to answer some of the most frequently asked questions and share some tips that came up this week. If you have a thought or question for the community, please ask or share!

Q: Can you do more than one Challenge at once?
A: No. It has been shown that tackling one aspect of your diet at a time is the best way to form new habits. Work your way through the levels of your current Challenge, and when you feel as though you’ve developed a lasting habit, start a new Challenge!

Q: I slipped. What do I do?
A: Use a free pass when you check in on the Foodstand app, and get back on track for the rest of the day. Don’t be hard on yourself, and remember—progress over perfection! Slipping means you’re trying, so be sure to congratulate yourself on the next healthy choice you make 🙂

Q: How can I make myself drink more water throughout the day?
A: Always keep a water bottle on hand. If water is in reach, you’re more likely to drink it. Try drinking sparkling water (seltzer) with pieces of chopped fruit and/or mint in it—it’s much more fun than plain water. Or make a cup of tea (it counts as water!) for a flavorful, warm drink on a cold day.

Q: What’s a good soda alternative?
A: We love sparkling water with fresh fruit! The fruit flavors the water, plus it’s nice and fizzy. Or if you need something slightly sweeter, pour a splash of 100% fruit juice in a glass, and top if off with sparkling water (just remember that fruit juice is liquid sugar, so be sure to dilute it with the water).

Q: How can I prevent myself from snacking before bed?
A: Make a cup of herbal tea in the evening so you have something to sip. Reading a good book, watching a movie, or playing a game can also be a good distraction. Also, be sure to fill up on veggies, protein and whole grains—if you eat well throughout the day and have a nutritious dinner, you won’t think as much about snacking before bed.

Q: Help! How do I curb my sugar cravings?
A: Quitting sugar is hard, so be sure to give yourself a pat on the back for joining the Challenge! First, make sure you eat a well-balanced diet throughout the day—fill up on vegetables, lean meat or fish, whole grains and healthy fats (such as nuts or avocado). These foods will help you kick your cravings by keeping you full longer, balancing your blood sugar levels, and giving you the fuel that your body needs. The first week is the most difficult, but it WILL get easier, so hang tight! And if you need something sweet, grab a piece of fresh or dried fruit (such as a date or dried mango) to satisfy your craving.

Click here to read more FAQs.

From the Team Uncategorized

ELECTION 2016: VOTE! FOR FOOD

November 3, 2016

election_us_foodstand_2016

We vote with our forks all year long, but come Tuesday, November 8th—be sure to vote with your ballot too (if you’re in the U.S.)! This election could have a huge impact on all of us—from health to the environment, minimum wage, and taxes too. Here are some quick tips to ensure your vote supports a better food system:

THINK GLOBAL—THE PRESIDENCY

  • To ensure a healthier food system and to sustain our planet, we need to make some drastic changes, and our next President of the United States could play a vital role in determining our future in these areas. It’s fair to say that neither candidate is perfect when it comes to food and sustainability, but their differing stances on certain issues could take us in two very different directions. Check out The Food Revolution Network’s “Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump: Where They Stand On Food” to make an educated vote.

THINK LOCAL—YOUR CONGRESS(WO)MEN

  • Before you hit the voting booth, check out the 2016 Food Policy Action Scorecard to see how your Senators and Representatives voted on food policy to support a healthier food system.
  • Look up your sample ballot on Ballotpedia to see who’s running, and where they stand on important issues.

SUPPORT THE SODA TAX

  • The Soda Tax is on the ballot in San Francisco, Oakland, and Albany, California and Boulder, Colorado. It’s an effective way to raise money for a community, and simultaneously make significant improvements on public health. Harvard researchers say Bay Area taxes alone could avert $55M in health costs over 10 years. Here’s More Evidence That Soda Taxes Cut Soda Drinking.
  • Talk to your friends and family in these cities and inform them about the tax. If someone replies, saying “it’s a regressive tax that disproportionately hurts poor people” you can respond by pointing out that diabetes is a regressive disease that now overwhelmingly effects low income families, and it is our government’s responsibility to protect the health of all citizens.
  • And finally, VOTE for the Soda Tax. If you’re in San Francisco, it’s Proposition V—vote YES!
From the Team Uncategorized

Coming Soon: Good Eating Challenges to Build Healthy Habits

September 1, 2016

Here at Foodstand we’ve always been on a mission to make good eating easier for more people. Each of you—with each post, comment, and ingenious kitchen innovation—has done your part to share what you know, so all of us can follow your lead. I’ve learned so much from every one of you—whether it’s how to more efficiently chop kale with a pizza cutter, how to forage for anything, how to reinvent literally all leftovers, or how to make the best breakfast in a melon. And hopefully you’ve learned a thing or two from me as well!

But I’m sure we all have people in our lives who don’t have the exact same passion for and commitment to better food that we do, who still want to live healthier lives. Maybe they turn to you for advice, or rely on you to show them around a farmers market. At Foodstand, we want to bring more of those aspiring healthy eaters into the fold. I’m sure we can all agree that if more people have a path to healthier, more sustainable eating, we could all be a happier and healthier society.

But how do we do that?

Well, most of you probably remember the #NoFoodWaste challenge we did together in June. You all shared nearly 500 tips, thousands learned from you, and the campaign (through our incredible partners) reached over 1M people! Not only did we individually do our part to chip away at the $218B food waste problem, but we brought more of our friends and family into the dialogue about a better food system. And we realized that there is something to these challenges—they motivate each of us to do just a little better tomorrow.

So we’re excited to share that in the coming weeks, on the heels of a successful #NoFoodWaste challenge, we’ll be launching a series of Good Eating Challenges on Foodstand—all tied back to our Good Eating Manifesto, our simple rules to live by:

  • Eat less processed food: make lunch 3x a week, cut back on added sugar
  • Eat more plants: eat 3 servings of fruits and veggies a day, eat 3 colors a day
  • Eat fewer animal products: eat less meat
  • Eat more mindfully: eat 1 distraction-free meal a day

These simple and super fun challenges are meant to celebrate progress over perfection, giving each of us (and those friends and family members of yours!) a chance to build lifelong good eating habits one at a time with the support of tens of thousands of other Foodstanders. Wherever you are on your good eating journey—whether you burn rice or you brûlée on the regular—there is always a little more you can do, and we’ll have a challenge for you.

You’ll start with one simple challenge for one day, eventually working your way up. And if you’re an expert in any of these categories, you’ll have a chance to help others as well, sharing what you know and what you’ve experienced.

What will these challenges look like? Well, we’re still working on it =). Since we’re still designing, we’d love your input! If you have thoughts on which challenges we should start with, how best to educate members about some of these habits, and/or partners we should work with, please drop us a line team@thefoodstand.com ! And if you want to stay up to date on the latest, join our newsletter!

Looking forward to sharing more very soon!

xx

Rachna & the Foodstand Team

Behind the Plate From the Team

THE TOP 10 WAYS TO BE A GOOD EATER

April 19, 2016
Photo @diginn

Photo @diginn

One of our Behind The Plate questions that we ask interviewees is “If you could get the general population to change ONE aspect of their eating habits, what would it be?” It comes down to this—know your food, as awareness is a crucial element of eating well. Cook. Eat more plants and less animals. And don’t eat too much of anything. Here are ten of our favorite answers.

  1. Sanjay Rawal – Care about who is responsible for your food—whether it’s a farmworker, a restaurant worker or your mom!
  2. Palak Patel (@palaknyc) – Reduce their meat consumption! Even if it means replacing a single meat meal with a vegetarian option. That’s a start.
  3. Simran Sethi – Stop supersizing everything. Let’s recognize how precious food is and stop wasting 40 percent of it (here in the U.S.).
  4. Audrey Snowe (@unconventionalbaker) – Just encouraging the understanding of where your food comes from, how it has been raised/developed/handled, and using your money as a vote to help sustainable enterprise/farmers.
  5. Noni Vaughn-Pollard (@darkchocolatepeanutbutter) – I agree with Michael Pollan, that we as a society need to get back into the kitchen. There’s something magical and exciting about creating nourishment for your body with only a few simple ingredients. Whenever I cook my food, I don’t feel stress or guilt. It’s hard not to feel stress or guilt when food isn’t made by you and becomes a mystery.
  6. Emily Van Raay (@modelsforwellness) – Know where your meat comes from.
  7. Jill de Jong – To eat more whole foods!
  8. Emily Summerlin (@etsummer) – I want more people to realize that a plate doesn’t need meat to be a complete, substantial meal. That mentality is so frustrating to me. I think people are getting better about it, but I can’t tell you how many times I get the question “what do you eat?” when I say I’m a vegetarian. There are so many foods out there that don’t come from animals that are full of protein and are nourishing and filling.
  9. Matthew Preston (@diginn) – Moderation! You don’t necessarily have to cut anything out, just reduce your consumption of it to achieve a good balance.
  10. Matthew Kenney – Eat one plant-based meal a day.
Behind the Plate From the Team

DEAR MR(S). PRESIDENT

April 19, 2016

One of our favorite Behind The Plate questions that we ask interviewees is “If you could ask the future President to consider a food issue that needs to be addressed, what would it be?” What we learned is that food policy is key to the health and wellbeing of our country. From protecting the land and the workers, to keeping big business and empty calories in check—we want change, and the government can help.

  1. Jeremy Kranowitz (@SustainableAmerica) – We should change food subsidies to encourage healthy, nutritious calories and by taxing cheap calories. It has been said that obesity is the face of hunger because cheap calories are high in sugar, salt, and fat. We should still make those calories available to those that want them, but they should be harder to obtain and more expensive to buy than fresh vegetables, fruits, and grains.
  2. Emily Summerlin (@etsummer) – I would ask the future President to consider the soil! 2015 was the International Year of Soils and a lot of great things happened around that, but I want that momentum to keep going. Not only does healthy soil produce nutritious and delicious food, but it also sequesters carbon! It’s one of the keys to reducing our climate impact and it is very worth taking care of, not only for the future of farming but for the future of the the entire planet.
  3. Rebecca Sparks – At present there is a movement in the government to limit access to SNAP benefits by making it a block grant where states can make decisions of eligibility and access. This is a crime. Every American resident should be guaranteed the right to food.
  4. Matthew Preston (@diginn) – Land access and ownership. The first barrier for young people interested in the farming industry is access to land.
  5. Sanjay Rawal – About 20 million Americans work in the food sector, many of whom barely make ends meet. Without their service we have no food security. Same goes for the 3 or 4 million undocumented workers who are in the food sector (farmworkers, meatpacking, distribution, dairy, etc). Without job security and dignity much less a non-draconian immigration policy, our food system will absolutely disintegrate. I am shocked and appalled that the issue of equity in our food system isn’t being discussed in even the most basic way.
  6. Palak Patel (@palaknyc) – Addressing the increasing role that corporations have on our food system. We must understand where our food comes from. Right now, we’re headed toward a future where decisions about our food are decided in closed boardrooms by executives putting profits before people.
  7. Jill de Jong – I would ask the president to demand that companies take the chemicals OUT of our food. No colorants, preservatives or additives. That would make a huge difference.
  8. Simran Sethi – There should be a lot more scrutiny around the Trans-Pacific Partnership and implications for domestic farmers, preservation of heirloom seeds and transparency around what consumers know about their food sources.
  9. Jessica Sennett (@cheesegrotto) – What concerns me the most is farm workers’ rights and agricultural practices. Limited water resources are a present day reality in California. We have to change our practices and not let a few large food corporations and buyers determine the method and quality of our farming. They control the whole industry and subject farm workers and owners to endless cycles of debt and dependence. The framework that exists does not take into consideration resource depletion.
  10. Massimo LoBuglio – I would love for a lot of things to be addressed, but to pick one… How about an environmental impact statement included on nutrition labels! Data about the carbon pollution associated with food choices.
Behind the Plate From the Team

EXPERTS’ EPIC FOOD FAILS—IT’S NOT JUST YOU.

April 19, 2016
Photo @jfdouble

Photo @jfdouble

One of our favorite Behind The Plate questions that we ask interviewees is “What was your biggest #foodfail?” We’re all human, and even the best chefs have disastrous kitchen moments. Here are ten of our favorite answers.

  1. Audrey Snowe (@unconventionalbaker) – Broccoli cheesecake. Worst idea ever! Don’t judge! I try lots of crazy things—sky is the limit—and I often land on winners that become “cult classics” on the web. But this one was clearly out of range. When I made it at first it was absolutely delicious—tasted nothing like broccoli at all (in case you’re wondering). Just a beautiful pale green cheesecake. I left it in the freezer for a week amidst all my other frozen cakes, and when I re-tasted it later it tasted absolutely horrible. Like broccoli gone horribly wrong with sugar and roses on top.
  2. Noni Vaughn-Pollard (@darkchocolatepeanutbutter) – Homemade injera, never again.
  3. Emily Summerlin (@etsummer) – Ridiculously enough I’ve done this more than once. I make a smoothie and upon the first sip realize that I didn’t rinse the soap out of the blender well enough beforehand. No thanks to soapy smoothies.
  4. Jessica Sennett (@cheesegrotto) – My biggest #foodfail was a persimmon tart. This was before I knew how to pick persimmons that wouldn’t be cloying and drying in the mouth. (If you have tasted an underripe persimmon, you know what I mean.) I tried to cook the tart anyway, and it really wasn’t edible.
  5. Emily Van Raay (@modelsforwellness) – I have food fails all the time. I’m not an expert in the kitchen but I love making new dishes and tend to bite off far more than I can chew… Roasting acorn squash is something that I can NEVER seem to get right! I end up leaving it in for far too long or taking it out way too early and can never get it off the skin. It’s probably one of the easiest things to make. Help!
  6. Matthew Kenney – One of the first times I served raw cuisine to a group I spent a lot of time preparing our zucchini lasagna in sheet pans ahead of time. I had never served this at a large event before, and the extra moisture turned the lasagna to mush. I had to serve a group of my peers this horrible dish and was mortified. I never plated this in advance again!
  7. Jill de Jong – Cauliflower crust pizza. It drove me crazy; I was trying so many different things but I have not been able to master it and have given up!
  8. Palak Patel (@palaknyc) – Generally baking. But my biggest fool fail happened in Paris while I was attempting to make meringues for a French-Indian pop-up dinner. Meringues have a reputation for being easy to make, but that night things got surprisingly complicated for a dish containing just two ingredients! I calculated the conversions incorrectly, plus using a French oven made my meringues lifeless and flat. Needless to say, I proceeded to crumble them and presented the dessert as “deconstructed”.
  9. Margaret Gifford (@MargaretG) – My biggest food fail was the split pea soup I tried to prepare for my stepdad’s birthday. I didn’t know you had to soak the peas.
  10. Jennifer Emilson (@JenniferEmilson) – I made fish tacos. The tortillas were made with amaranth flour. They were thick, chewy, not a texture my hubby liked at all. And I didn’t marinate the cabbage long enough. All in all, too raw a meal. He said they didn’t deserve to be called fish tacos!