At HVHC Meatless Mondays Promote Healthier Eating

Employees at Hudson Valley Hospital Center are giving up meat once a week and it has nothing to do with Lent.
 
Every Monday, the Hospital’s Food and Nutrition Services offers healthy meatless meals to its employees and visitors as part of a national campaign to cut fat and cholesterol from diets and take advantage of the benefits of increased consumption of fruits and vegetables.
 
This week’s Meatless Monday special is regular or whole wheat pasta with pesto or garlic and olive oil with assorted vegetables made to order by the Hospital’s Chef Jason Donovan.
 
“Going Meatless once a week can reduce the risk of chronic preventable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity,’’ said Jennifer Fell, RD, CDN, Director of Food and Nutrition.  “It can also help reduce our carbon footprint. At Hudson Valley Hospital Center we are offering great-tasting meatless options in the hopes that our employees and visitors will join this national movement.”
 
“Meatless Monday” is part of the “Healthy Monday” national initiative founded by Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, and Syracuse University to help decrease the incidence of preventable disease.  It has been shown that regular reminders help individuals keep up their commitment to new habits.  The Healthy Monday campaign encourages people to renew their efforts every Monday towards achieving a healthier lifestyle.
 
On average, Americans consume 8oz of meat per day – 45 percent more than the USDA recommends.  A recent study by the Food and Marketing Institute found that 18 percent of families are going meatless on Mondays for health or economic reasons.
 
Fell said that the Outpatient Nutrition Department at Hudson Valley Hospital can help anyone develop smarter eating habits any day of the week.
 
Hudson Valley Hospital Center’s Outpatient Nutrition Program offers:
¨      Individualized nutrition counseling
¨      Nutrition education for the management of chronic disease
¨      Analysis of current diet and food intake
¨      Learn to read food labels and understand portion sizes
¨      Guidelines for eating out
¨      Medical nutrition therapy for Medicare Part B beneficiaries with diabetes or non-dialysis renal disease.
 
For more information or to schedule an appointment please contact the Nutrition Counseling Department at (914) 734-3022 or email nutrition@hvhc.org. For more information about Meatless Mondays visit Hudson Valley Hospital Center’s website at www.hvhc.org or www.meatlessmonday.com