Kids Leap into Health with New Gaming App

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With busy families eating on-the-go more frequently, a new game being announced today is taking a creative and fun approach to helping parents and families think about how to make healthful choices while dining out.

The National Restaurant Association collaborated with SuperKids Nutrition to create the new gaming app called FoodLeap to bring attention to the Kids LiveWell program, which offers healthful children's menu items at 150 restaurant brands representing 42,000 restaurant locations across the nation. The aim of FoodLeap is to grow awareness about Kids LiveWell, while increasing children's knowledge about the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables.

"Technology is an effective way to bridge the gap between parents and kids, to educate while entertaining them. Games and cartoon characters are fun and get kids' attention – so combining what kids like with healthy food themes creates an opportunity to educate kids in an engaging way," said Melissa Halas-Liang, founder of SuperKids Nutrition. "FoodLeap is a game that is meant to create a dialogue between parents and their kids about how healthy foods taste and how they can be enjoyed. Kids gain exposure to healthy foods and their benefits, and parents can encourage them to try the nutritious foods featured in the game when visiting restaurants that participate in the Kids LiveWell program."

Kids LiveWell, a program launched by the National Restaurant Association in collaboration with Healthy Dining, highlights restaurants across the country that commit to offering healthful menu items for children. The initiative focuses on increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy, and limiting unhealthy fats, sugars and sodium.

The FoodLeap game (available on iPhones and iPads) follows the adventures of Super Baby Abigail, the face of the popular website SuperKidsNutrition.com, which features the Super Crew® Kids. In the game, Super Baby Abigail leaps and bounds through the different colored levels of Rainbow Road, catching and collecting healthful, colorful foods while outsmarting hostile kitchenware (tea cups, tongs, spoons). Each healthful food gives a dose of antioxidant power to boost Abigail's speed, so she can leap over or fly through the obstacles, moving faster to the next level. As she completes each level of Rainbow Road, she unlocks fun and tasty facts about the foods that she's captured.

"We know families are eager for healthful children's meals, and the growth of the Kids LiveWell program has shown that the restaurant industry is enthusiastic about providing these nutritious choices," said Joan McGlockton, Vice President of Industry Affairs & Food Policy for the National Restaurant Association. "We are excited to offer an app that will increase awareness about the nutritious options available while dining out, as well as empower children with the knowledge to make healthful choices in a creative and entertaining way."

Links to the game are available through Restaurant.org/KidsLiveWell and SuperKidsNutrition.com, a trusted source for nutrition education that is featured on over 5,000 school websites.

Top tips for dining out with kids:

• Before heading to the restaurant, check out the healthful menu items online.
• Visit Restaurant.org/KidsLiveWell to learn more about the Kids LiveWell program and find participating restaurants. Download the free Kids LiveWell app to locate participating restaurants while on-the-go.
• Don't hesitate to ask your server how certain dishes are prepared.
• Remember it's more than just the colors of the rainbow that count toward good health – include colors like black (beans), white (garlic), and brown (whole grains), too.
• Download the FoodLeap app. Use FoodLeap to engage your kids in discussions about good nutrition. Ask kids what foods featured in the game are their favorites and why, and share your favorite ways to eat these foods. When dining out, look for foods featured in the game to see if they appear on the Kids LiveWell menu, then head to SuperKidsNutrition.com for more healthy, tasty and fun ideas.

About the National Restaurant Association
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises more than one million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 14.4 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry's largest trade show (NRA Show May 21-24, 2016, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF's ProStart); as well as the Kids LiveWell program promoting healthful kids' menu options. For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.

About SuperKids Nutrition
SuperKids Nutrition Inc. was founded in August 2006 to "save the world one healthy food at a time." ™ It provides nutrition content, learning activities, and curriculum that feature the Super Crew® on its website, SuperKidsNutrition.com. These materials and content are also featured on the websites of over 5,000 schools across 40 states. SuperKids Nutrition empowers children and families to reach their full potential and accomplish their goals by attaining and maintaining good health. It is the ultimate resource for parents, educators, and health care professionals to increase knowledge of nutrition and enables both families and children to make healthier choices every day. For more information visit SuperKidsNutrition.com and find us on Twitter @KidsNutrition, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.

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SOURCE National Restaurant Association

Related Links

http://Restaurant.org