- Oct
- 19
- 2017
Plant-based eating: It’s not just lettuce and tomatoes!
Throughout Food Week at Northwell Health (October 23 – 27), you can sample a rich array of flavors and plant-based ingredients that are not only delicious, but are oh-so good for your health.
Chefs throughout Northwell “will be reshaping and redefining how plant-based meals can look and taste,” says Heather Seid, MS, RD, Clinical Nutrition Manager at Lenox Hill Hospital. “Among the more expected meal choices, you’ll also find Healthy Choice meals that put plant-based recipes as the center of attraction on your plate.”
Heather says the goal of Food Week is to answer some of these common questions about plant-based eating:
- Will I get enough protein? The answer is yes!
- What do I eat? Plant-based choices are a rich assortment of nuts, legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
- Is it healthy, safe and balanced? Mother nature packs plant-based foods with essential vitamins, minerals and fiber, which sends your body all the right messages to aide with digestion, energy and overall physical and mental health and well-being.
“For years, we’ve had this S.A.D. mindset , the Standard American Diet, eating refined and processed foods, lots of meat and lots of high-fat dairy, while eating few vegetables,” says Heather. “Many studies have shown that by shifting to a more plant-based way of eating, we can better maintain weight, improve heart health and reduce risk for, or greatly improve Type 2 diabetes.”
So stop by a Teaching Kitchen, talk to your registered dietitians as they table outside your cafeterias, and sample something new throughout Food Week. You’ll find out how to get started with plant-based recipes that are affordable, easy to prep, and best of all, delicious.
Northwell Health is committed to a three-year Food and Nutrition Transformation, presently underway — making significant changes to ensure that our patients, visitors and employees have access to food that tastes good, is good for you and supports the environment — and working with local food resources is part of this transformation. Each day, employees have access to Northwell Healthy Choice food selections in our cafeterias, which follows healthy nutrition guidelines.
This is great news. I am very interested in learning more about a plant based diet.
Hi Roberta, Terrific. Hope you’ll try something new every day this week. Let us know what you’ve tried and how you like it! Feedback is always appreciated.
Hi Roberta, how did it go for you last week? Did you get the opportunity to try out a plant-based option at your worksite? Watch for some amazing Northwell Healthy Choice Thanksgiving recipes coming soon!
Good morning,
I’m excited to hear Northwell is placing more emphasis on healthy eating habits. As a person who is mindful of what I eat, I’m always up for learning new plant based dishes to prepare. You guys rock!
Thank you.
Tina L. Gimenez
Perioperative Secretary
Northshore University Hospital
Hi Tina, Thanks for taking a minute for sharing your appreciation for Food Week’s emphasis on plant based eating. Let us know what you try and how you like it! The chefs and their teams, along with Employee Wellness, appreciate the feedback!
As a vegetarian for 30 years and a vegan for 15, this is very encouraging!