Skip to contents
In This Issue:
BWH dietitians are giving local restaurants the skinny on creating healthy, yet tasty dishes on their menus through the new Boston BestBites program. Initiated by BWH, the Boston Public Health Commission and Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the program is a major step forward for promoting healthy eating.
“A considerable number of meals are eaten out, whether at a restaurant or through take-out,” Kathy McManus, MS, RD, director of Nutrition, said. “As a result of the large portions and high sodium and saturated fat content in these prepared meals, eating out can significantly affect an individual’s overall health.”
Nearly 50 percent of Bostonians were overweight or obese in 2003, according to public health studies. Boston BestBites kicked off last week at the Haley House Café in Roxbury. It is an effort to help fight against obesity, which is directly associated with health problems like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Through the program, BWH dietitians and local restaurants will collaborate to create menu items that cater to customers’ taste buds and health. Participating restaurants submit recipes to BWH dietitians, who will evaluate their nutritional value and determine whether they fit the caloric and size guidelines of a healthy meal. Dietitians will modify and return the recipes to the restaurants as new, healthier menu items.
Already more than a dozen restaurants are participating, including Solstice Café at Roxbury Crossing, Victoria’s Diner in Boston, Bon Appetite Restaurant in Dorchester and Latino Restaurant in Jamaica Plain. Menino called for all of the city’s restaurants to join the program.
BWH Nutrition plans to provide its patients with a list of all participating restaurants. Boston BestBites is just getting underway but soon will be advertised in local newspapers and through posters in MBTA trains and stations. The American Heart Association has given the program its endorsement.
“This is a major step the city has taken to help support healthy eating,” McManus said.
BWH dietitians adapted a recipe for banana-date crème brule to meet the same guidelines as restaurants participating in the Boston BestBites initiative. Visit www.bwhpikenotes.org/healthyrecipes.asp to download the recipe. Enjoy!