The San Antonio Healthy Restaurants Coalition debuted the ¡Por Vida! Program, a menu labeling and recognition program for food service establishments that offer healthy menu items. ¡Por Vida! is voluntary, and only requires restaurants to label the specific menu items that meet set nutritional criteria. The cornerstone of the ¡Por Vida! Program is the solid nutritional criteria, developed by the San Antonio Dietetic Association based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which suggest a balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. The criteria establish clear limits for calories, total fat, saturated fat, transfat, and sodium. ¡Por Vida! is currently implemented within 7 restaurants in San Antonio, at over 120 locations. The restaurants include a large national fast food chain, several local restaurant chains, and independently owned restaurants. The restaurants received guidance and technical support from local, registered dietitians who analyzed and created menu items to meet the ¡Por Vida! nutritional criteria. Each of the restaurants identified at least one plate (entrée and sides) to meet the nutritional criteria, and developed in-store marketing materials to promote the new ¡Por Vida! items.
Learn more about San Antonio's Healthy Restaurant Coalition.