Discovery Vitality is constantly on the look out for opportunities to enable their members to lead healthier lifestyles. Seeing as having bad eating habits is one of the greatest barriers to the good health of an individual, what better place could there be for Vitality to give its members healthy options than in the fast food and restaurant market. Nando's is now a retail partner of Vitality, meaning that members now qualify for significant discounts on meals endorsed by Vitality.
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Earn rewards with Nando's
Nando’s has added some healthy spice to Discovery Vitality’s bouquet of DiscoveryCard retail partners with the introduction of a peri-delicious Vitality meal. “There is a natural synergy between Nando’s and Discovery Vitality because both companies are committed to the health and well-being of their customers. Nando’s has a solid track record when it comes to a commitment to a healthier lifestyle. As far back as 1995 Nando’s became the first Quick Service Restaurant group in South Africa to commission independent nutritional research on all our meal offerings,” explains Kevin Utian, M.D Nando’s South Africa.
Utian comments further, “We continually update our nutritional information with major research and commissioned again in 2003 and early in 2006. In 2005 we launched our “Eat Responsibly” campaign which is nutrition driven to educate the public on healthy eating by showing which menu items are low in fat and cholesterol. Our philosophy is one of eating responsibly and we make every effort to ensure that our customers have a wide variety of healthier alternatives to choose from.”
“We are therefore delighted to announce our latest partnership, namely our selection as a DiscoveryCard retail partner as it confirms the Nando’s positioning as a healthier alternative. Nando’s already is a Supersport “Let’s Play” partner to help support the focus on building a healthier nation through encouraging balanced lifestyles – where kids are encouraged to eat healthily and be active and the DiscoveryCard partnership will further highlight our genuine commitment to the overall wellbeing of our entire customer base.”
Vitality members earn rewards
DiscoveryCard is Discovery’s powerful credit card offering. The DiscoveryCard links to the Vitality wellness programme to reward Discovery Health and Discovery Life clients for taking care of their health. Vitality members who use their DiscoveryCard at Nando’s can now qualify for a discount of up to 15%, depending on their Vitality status.
To entrench the Nando’s Discovery association, Nando’s is launching a Vitality meal and will also be exploring specific Vitality-endorsed Nando’s meal options into the future.
Utian comments, “New product development at Nando’s is around innovative items that are both healthy and delicious and we already feature wraps, delicious vegetable soups, corn-on-the-cob and vegetarian meals and we also commissioned our mayo supplier to develop a decreased fat mayo for the group which has lowered the fat content of all our mayo from 38% to 11%. To develop the Vitality meals will not only add depth to our healthier meal options but will also add further credibility to the health positioning of our Nando’s meals.”
Why did Discovery choose Nando’s?
Alan Pollard, CEO of Discovery Vitality says that Nando’s was a natural choice as a DiscoveryCard partner. “Our aim is to offer our clients meaningful rewards and incentives to lead a healthier lifestyle, but also to give them affordable access to leading lifestyle and leisure partners and offer them a wide range of choices.
“With Nando’s extensive nationwide footprint, immense popular appeal and commitment to healthier meal options, the partnership made absolute sense to us. We’re especially excited about the healthier meal options that will be available to Vitality members in the New Year. It all ties into Vitality’s broader commitment to encouraging a healthier and more rewarding lifestyle.”
What is the Nando’s Vitality meal all about?
Lauren Wyper Registered Dietitian and Vitality Wellness Consultant expalins, “The Nando’s Vitality meal is completely balanced and consists of a flame-grilled chicken breast, a seasonal salad and a flame-grilled mealie, representing the various food groups. This combination provides macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) in a suitable proportion/ratio to the overall kilojoule value (% wise)."
"In addition, the portion size of each component of the meal is not excessive, unlike many of the super-sized portions we see today; they equate to a reasonable total kilojoule value, in stark contrast with many take-out or restaurant meals which supply a large proportion of the daily kilojoule requirement in one sitting."
Utian concludes, “Discovery is an acknowledged leader in its chosen industry, and through Vitality, also a leader in promoting wellness in South Africa. The association with Discovery validates Nando’s key nutritional message of being the healthier choice.”
Nutritional information on meal components
Flame-grilled chicken breast:
Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein
It is also lower in saturated fat than red meat
Flame grilling uses less added fat than frying or deep-frying.
The portion size of the single chicken breast is aligned with healthy eating recommendations for a balanced meal.
The portion sizes of meat and chicken that are typically served today are excessive.
Seasonal salad:
The variety of vegetables in the salad provides nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and fibre.
The salad is low in fat and kilojoules.
It enhances the aesthetics of the meal by providing a burst of nutritious colour and texture.
Flame-grilled mealie:
Corn is a whole grain, which means that it’s nutrient profile is still in tact (unlike a processed or refined starch/grain where certain nutrients have been removed during processing)
It is a good source of slow-release carbohydrate, which provides sustained energy and fibre, which assists in maintaining digestive health.
Courtesy of: http://www.health24.com/news/Whats_happening/1-3439,40177.asp
