A total of thirty catering services attached to HSE sites were honoured with an Irish Heart Foundation Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award recently in recognition of their commitment to providing healthy food choices to visitors and staff.
The Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award is a unique health promotion programme created by the Irish Heart Foundation in the mid-1990s. Through the award programme, catering facilities in healthcare services are supported to adopt healthier cooking practices and provide healthier food choices without incurring substantial costs.
In 2021 the Irish Heart Foundation partnered with the HSE Healthy Eating Active Living Programme to support healthcare services and enable healthier choice to be the easier choice for staff and visitors.
The programme supports HSE sites such as hospitals, nursing homes, disability services and others to reduce the fat, sugar, and salt in meals, increase the vegetable, salad, and fruit offering, offer healthier snacks and drinks, measure portion sizes, provide high fibre choices and reduce processed meats.
“ The Irish Heart Foundation is delighted to recognise each of these locations for creating a culture of health and wellbeing ”
Across 2020 and 2021, the initiative was implemented at 30 sites nationwide, supporting the health of more than 24,000 staff. Their efforts were recognised recently at the annual Happy Heart Healthy Eating Awards, hosted by the Irish Heart Foundation and the HSE.
A healthy and balanced diet with an active lifestyle helps reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
The 2021 awards saw three facilities achieve the bronze standard, six achieved silver and 21 were awarded gold.
Irish Heart Foundation CEO, Tim Collins, who presented the virtual awards recently, said the initiative to ensure healthier food promotion and provision in workplaces was a “highly effective way to tackle heart disease and stroke.”
“The Irish Heart Foundation is delighted to recognise each of these locations for creating a culture of health and wellbeing and positively influencing people’s cardiovascular health by providing a long-term sustainable programme that demonstrates commitment to staff and visitors,” he said.
“ We are delighted to have partnered with the Irish Heart Foundation to roll out the awards programme exclusively across the health services."
Commenting Sarah O Brien, National Lead of the HSE Healthy Eating Active Living Programme said, “We are delighted to have partnered with the Irish Heart Foundation to roll out the awards programme exclusively across the health services.”
“Catering services and staff have an important role to play in positively influencing the quality and nutritional content of food and beverages available, making the healthier choice the easier choice for all.
“The Nutrition Standards for the provision of food and beverages sets out clear standards and guidelines and we are delighted to support sites to work to implement these.
“Congratulations to all those receiving their 2021 Award for their hard work and dedication. We look forward to working with new facilities who sign up for the Awards programme in 2022 and will continue supporting those already engaged to achieve the highest standard possible,” she said.
Health services facilities interested in the Happy Heart Healthy Eating Awards can find out more here
Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award Winners
Gold award:
Silver award:
Bronze award:
Easter weekend brings a welcome pause in the year, a chance to unwind, spend time with family and enjoy a few well-earned treats. While chocolate eggs and cosy downtime are part of the fun, it’s also a great opportunity to build in some movement and make choices that support your overall wellbeing. With a little balance, you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
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