Some reviews have arrived for FoodFlex, Safeway's new online calorie-counting tool. Accessed at www.safeway.com/foodflex, the interactive tool presents loyalty cardholders with a nutritional snapshot of past purchases, as well as food alternatives to help them reach their nutrition goals.
The program, launched in late January, adds up the calories in everything purchased, calculates the total fat, cholesterol, sodium, fiber, protein and carbohydrates, and charts them against an individual's recommended daily intake, taking into account factors such as age and physical activity.
One comprehensive review came from The Washington Post's Ylan Mui, who wondered if FoodFlex would "really help you be more nutrition-conscious" or was "just marketing." To "give it a workout," she decided to make crab manicotti.
Shopping with a heightened nutrition-consciousness, Ms. Mui first stocked her cart with organic baby romaine salad mix, orange juice, Odwalla energy bars and Pacific Rose apples. Bending to the crab manicotti recipe, she grabbed ricotta cheese (albeit part skim) as well as alfredo sauce and manicotti (no leaner options for the last two). For dessert, she bought vanilla-yogurt-covered raisins and decided to make a cookie recipe on the side of the packaging.
When Ms. Mui logged on to check out the nutrition reading of her purchases, the results were dismal: Fat: 136 percent of the federal dietary guidelines. Sodium: 159 percent. Cholesterol: 165 percent.
"It's a wonder my arteries were still functioning," wrote Ms. Mui.
The culprits included the half walnuts used in the cookie recipe as well as the alfredo sauce and manicotti. The report recommended sliced almonds instead of walnuts, as well as vodka sauce or even leaner marinara sauce instead of the alfredo sauce.
On the positive side, certified nutrition counselor Michele Pishalski-Schlossberg, called the ability to search for healthy alternatives the most useful feature of the site. For example, FoodFlex could offer ways to reduce sodium to fight high blood pressure.
One limitation, according to Ms. Mui, is that FoodFlex by default seeks alternatives in the same category as the original purchase. Requesting a substitute for Gatorade that has more Vitamin C or potassium will likely yield another sports drink. Comparing it with a broader range of products requires more clicks.
Also, while the nutrition report may have been accurate, it didn't reflect real life, Ms. Pishalski-Schlossberg asserted.
"When you have this mathematical, scientific kind of equation, it labels everything as having the same value. And there's so much more to food and what really nourishes somebody."
Indeed, Ms. Mui notes the race to meet numbers obscures the fact that the body needs fats and calories to function and they "aren't hidden traps to make us gain weight." Still, she argues that much like the FoodFlex name, consumers should be flexible about their food choices.
"So I refuse to feel guilty about using manicotti shells that aren't whole wheat. But maybe I'll give the marinara sauce a chance," she wrote.
Discussion Question: What are the benefits as well as the limitations of an online calorie-counting program such as FoodFlex? Should more grocers be pursuing such programs?