Cavan Normal Hospital has been rewarded for implementing more healthy meals choices for workers and guests.
The Glad Coronary heart Wholesome Consuming Award programme, run in partnership between the Irish Coronary heart Basis and the HSE’s Wholesome Consuming Energetic Dwelling Programme, has led to quite a few amenities adopting new cooking practices and reworking meals selections over the past 25 years.
The programme helps hospitals, nursing houses, incapacity companies and different amenities to scale back the fats, sugar and salt in meals, improve the vegetable, salad and fruit providing, supply more healthy snacks and drinks, measure portion sizes, present excessive fibre selections and cut back processed meats.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, the initiative was applied at 30 websites nationwide, supporting the well being of over 24,000 employees, with their efforts recognised on the annual Glad Coronary heart Wholesome Consuming Awards, hosted by the charity and the HSE.
Nationwide the 2021 awards noticed three amenities obtain the bronze normal, six attained silver, together with Cavan Normal Hospital, and 21 have been awarded gold.
A wholesome and balanced weight-reduction plan with an lively way of life helps cut back the chance of power circumstances reminiscent of coronary coronary heart illness, Sort 2 diabetes and a few cancers. Persistent ailments, together with coronary coronary heart illness and stroke, trigger seven in 10 untimely deaths in Eire.
The programme helps amenities to scale back the fats, sugar and salt in meals, improve the vegetable, salad and fruit providing, supply more healthy snacks and drinks, measure portion sizes, present excessive fibre selections and cut back processed meats.
Irish Coronary heart Basis CEO, Tim Collins, who introduced the digital awards not too long ago, mentioned the initiative to make sure more healthy meals promotion and provision in workplaces was a “extremely efficient technique to deal with coronary heart illness and stroke”.
“The Irish Coronary heart Basis is delighted to recognise every of those places for making a tradition of well being and wellbeing and positively influencing individuals’s cardiovascular well being by offering a long-term sustainable programme that demonstrates dedication to employees and guests,” he mentioned.
“Healthcare employees are important for selling the well being of the nation and we’re keen about making a wholesome work surroundings for this essential group in society.”
“We’re delighted to have partnered with the Irish Coronary heart Basis to roll out the Awards programme solely throughout the well being companies,” mentioned Sarah O’Brien from the HSE’s Wholesome Consuming Energetic Dwelling programme.
“Catering companies and employees have an essential function to play in positively influencing the standard and dietary content material of meals and drinks obtainable, making the more healthy selection the simpler selection for all.
“The Diet Requirements for the availability of meals and drinks units out clear requirements and pointers and we’re delighted to help websites to work to implement these.”
Well being companies amenities within the Glad Coronary heart Wholesome Consuming Awards can discover out extra at hse.ie/healthyeatingatwork/ or irishheart.ie