CLEARFIELD – A third local restaurant has joined the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc. SM@ART Dining Program. Beginning the week of March 14, the Dutch Pantry of Clearfield will begin serving SM@ART meals to persons over 60 years who hold SM@ART credit cards.
“This program appealed to me the moment I heard about it. I knew it would be a good match for us. We have always cared about the mature diner, and SM@ART will be another way we can show our dedication to them, Tracy Brubaker, the restaurant’s owner, said.
Dutch Pantry’s SM@ART Dining menu features 13 healthy meal combos. SM@ART Dining is an exclusive, healthy dining service made possible through an agreement between participating restaurants and the CCAAA. It is not a free or a discount program, but rather a nutrition service.
It was created specifically to assure participants that the combinations of foods they order are lower in calories, fats, and sodium, while at the same time, higher in fiber, vitamins and calcium. Portions are smaller than what the restaurant may usually serve. The service will help people comply with their diet restrictions or assist people who simply want to make healthier food choices.
In order to give interested residents a chance to check out Dutch Pantry’s version of SM@ART Dining, a “Have One on Us” event has been scheduled for 4 p.m. March 14. Any Clearfield County resident over 60 years old who would like to try a meal should call 765-2696 to make a reservation by Friday, March 11. There will be no charge for the experience.
Everyone who attends will get a small gift, and anyone who actually enrolls that afternoon can choose one additional item imprinted with the program logo.
Staff from the CCAAA will be on hand to explain how the program works, and to enroll folks who want to get a SM@ART card. “Our goal,” says Sue Kordish, Licensed Nutritionist/Dietitian at CCAAA, “is to have eight or more participating restaurants in the Clearfield area, where a SM@ART card can be used. Once we get the program rolling smoothly, we hope to replicate it in other towns. Clearfield area is serving as the proving ground for the program.”
Area restaurant owners and managers who would like to learn more about becoming providers of the service should contact the agency at 814-765-2696.