This year, during the Happy Heart Healthy Eating Awards, a total of 21 healthcare facilities in Ireland were recognized for their dedication to serving better meals to nearly 18,000 health sector staff.
Fifteen establishments nationwide were recognized with gold awards for establishing a healthier culinary environment.
Four facilities—including Ennis General Hospital—were awarded bronze, while two sites were awarded silver for their food selections.
The Irish Heart Foundation and the HSE jointly launched the Happy Heart Healthy Eating Awards, which have been in operation for more than 25 years.
CEO of the Irish Heart Foundation Emma Balmaine said at the awards ceremony, held on November 28 at the Gibson Hotel in Dublin, “We have been able to develop the Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award program with support from the HSE, and it has been the flagship of our health promotion initiatives for several decades.” It offers a wide range of environmental and individual strategies to encourage better decisions and actions.
Since many employees eat one or more meals a day at work, healthcare offices are perfect venues to encourage healthy eating. Through supporting and promoting good eating and other healthy behaviors, the workplace is one of the best venues for people to positively affect their cardiovascular risk, according to the World Health Organization,” she continued.
Research indicates that maintaining an active lifestyle and eating a well-balanced diet might help lower the chance of developing chronic illnesses like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
Wider health determinants, such as our food environment, have a significant influence on both these chronic illnesses and our dietary choices.
Given the increasing trend of people dining out, Co Clare healthcare facilities that serve hot meals to staff and guests are urged to participate in the awards program and expand their menus to include more healthful options.
Limiting the availability of foods and beverages heavy in sugar, salt, and saturated fat as well as keeping an eye on portion sizes and encouraging the availability of foods high in fiber, healthier counter displays, and vending machine contents are some of the requirements for the awards.
As stated by Sarah O’Brien, National Lead for the Healthy Eating Active Living program at the HSE, “Our staff is our most valuable resource – supporting their health and wellbeing in the workplace is a key priority for us in the Health Services.”
“Our team is supported in making the healthy choice the simple choice by creating a healthier food environment and offering healthier options throughout mealtimes.
The awards honor those locations that are committed to making the creation of environments that promote healthy eating a priority, as well as those that have worked hard and dedicatedly to quality improvement.
Read More: https://thecareworld.com/
