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Thirty Boston-area restaurants are offering 40 menu items as part of the annual Boston Heart Party, a regional series of programs aimed at increasing awareness of cardiovascular disease among women through Mother's Day. In its seventh year, the Boston Heart Party brings together several leading Boston employers and hospitals like BWH and Faulkner Hospital to offer free cardiovascular disease education and screenings to more than 25,000 women.
For Kathy McManus, RD, director of Nutrition, that means promoting heart-healthy food preparation, menu items and food. This is the second year BWH's Department of Nutrition has reviewed and approved menu items at participating restaurants. Nearly twice as many restaurants than last year are participating.
BWH Nutrition Department guidelines impose specific limits on calories, grams of saturated fat and sodium levels for appetizers, entrees and desserts. Partially hydrogenated fats, popularly known as “trans fats,” are forbidden. McManus,
Caitlin Hosmer, manager of Ambulatory Nutrition, and dietetic interns reviewed each of the recipes to make sure they met BWH heart-healthy guidelines. Often times, BWH nutritionists had to suggest recipe modifications, and the restaurants cooperated to secure the Boston Heart Party logo for their menus.
“We would just talk it over with the chef and maybe suggest substituting olive oil instead of butter or cut down on salt to reduce the sodium content,” she said.
McManus said restaurant patrons should use caution in selecting dishes that may seem heart healthy. “Just because it's a chicken dish, that doesn't mean it was prepared with heart-healthy ingredients,” she said. Also, consumers need to be vigilant in “casual dining” restaurants where they may go a few nights each week.
For more information about the Boston Heart Party and participating restaurants, visit www.bostonheartparty.com, and check out www.brighamandwomens.org/events for more information on Boston Heart Party events.