Dietitians and health experts everywhere regard daily tracking of physical activity and food intake as the single biggest tool for success in any health, diet, or fitness program, and that process just got easier for millions of Americans, thanks to a strategic partnership between Sodexo and MyFitnessPal.
Now, tracking good nutrition in the workplace is simple as Sodexo, quality of daily life solutions provider to more than 1,800 corporate workplaces in the United States, directly connects its database of thousands of chef-developed menu items directly with MyFitnessPal’s mobile applications and website.
“Millions of people have downloaded health and fitness related mobile applications for their phones,” says Bill Mitchell, national director of consumer technology solutions for Sodexo.
“In fact, research predicts there will be more than 1 billion annual health-related app downloads by the year 2016,” he says. “People want help managing their day-to-day progress and keeping track away from home can sometimes present a challenge. MyFitnessPal fits perfectly with Sodexo’s commitment to the communities we serve by taking an approach to health and wellness that’s integrated into all aspects of life—at work, home, and play—giving real-time nutrition information to guide dining decisions.”
The MyFitnessPal application, widely praised and rated Editor’s Choice by PC Magazine and Editor’s Pick in Wired Magazine, is available as a free download on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Windows smartphones.
The technology utilizes a barcode scanner allowing consumers to instantly download nutrition information for a product as an alternative to searching for it in the database or entering it manually.
MyFitnessPal’s nutrition database of more than 1.8 million products is also available on the MyFitnessPal.com website.
As part of Sodexo’s focus on technology and an enterprise-wide point-of-sale system, it has introduced unique codes for all products and recipes. Those unique codes, which Sodexo incorporates on signs, labels, and receipts, are integrated into MyFitnessPal, making access to nutrition information even faster.
In addition, the program allows for integration of the consumer’s information with FitBit, an innovative tool used to track activity, fitness, diet, and sleep patterns, helping people lead healthier, more active lives.
“We’re extremely pleased to partner with Sodexo,” says Albert Lee, cofounder of MyFitnessPal. “This partnership supports our goal of making it easy for consumers to be able to find accurate nutrition information wherever they may be dining as they use our application to simplify keeping track of their nutrition and fitness goals.”
The partnership with MyFitnessPal is aligned with the priorities for Sodexo’s “Better Tomorrow Plan,” the company’s sustainability roadmap, which includes actively promoting nutrition, health, and wellness; committing to local communities; and protecting the environment.
