Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
Ochsner Eat Fit Celebrates 10 Years
Nonprofit initiative collaborates with restaurants and community to make the healthy choice the easy choice
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New Orleans – This year, Ochsner Eat Fit celebrates its 10th anniversary as a leader in nutrition and wellness across the state. March is the perfect time to highlight the program’s decade of success as it is National Nutrition Month, a month dedicated to nutrition education and information.
In 2013, Ochsner Health registered dietitian Molly Kimball founded Eat Fit NOLA, collaborating with local chefs to identify and develop nutritious menu options for those looking to eat clean, watch their weight, and manage conditions like diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Dishes and products that meet the nutritional standards are denoted on menus and marquees with the Eat Fit Seal of Approval.
“Our mission is to empower the community to live their strongest, healthiest lives possible by providing real-world education, inspiration and resources for wellness and nutrition,” says Eat Fit founder, registered dietitian and author Kimball. “With the creation of Eat Fit, we’ve helped to bridge the gap between getting out there and living our life, enjoying all that our restaurants and festivals have to offer, while also sustaining and supporting our own personal wellness journeys.”
In the decade since its inception, Eat Fit has grown through past partnerships with Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Louisiana into a statewide initiative that includes Eat Fit NOLA, Eat Fit Northshore, Eat Fit BR, Eat Fit Acadiana, Eat Fit Shreveport and Eat Fit Monroe. The program supports nutrition education for culinary teaching programs, junior chef cooking challenges, development of Eat Fit opportunities in under-served areas and nutrition-related events in schools, churches and grocery stores. The Eat Fit team has published two books: The Eat Fit Cookbook: Chef Inspired Recipes for the Home, and Craft: The Eat Fit Guide to Zero Proof Cocktails.
The Eat Fit team also hosts the annual Alcohol Free For 40 Challenge, encouraging participants to take on a self-experiment to see how going alcohol-free influences their health, inside and out. In February, nearly 500 people participated in the kickoff event to assess pre-challenge labs and physical metrics, with another 1.9K participating virtually via the #AlcoholFreeFor40 Facebook group.
Nearly 600 partners feature the Eat Fit seal on their menus. Last year alone, more than 1.4 million Eat Fit meals were served in restaurants across the state and nine schools now feature Eat Fit approved items in their school cafeterias. Peer-reviewed research has validated the success of the Eat Fit program, as well as the Alcohol Free For 40 Challenge.
“Food and drink are essential elements of our culture and Eat Fit makes it easier than ever to celebrate our rich and delicious traditions while making progress toward our wellness goals,” said Kimball. “I’m so proud of Eat Fit, our staff and partners, and I hope to continue our work for decades more.”
For individuals interested in living a healthier lifestyle, Eat Fit offers easy, digital access through its Eat Fit App, which provides a wealth of information from Eat Fit approved restaurants, fine dining and festivals, hundreds of Eat Fit recipes, downloadable shopping guides to help navigate grocery stores and much more.
For more information about Ochsner Eat Fit, please visit OchsnerEatFit.com.
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About Ochsner Health
Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating 80 years in 2022, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and kidney transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children’s hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including 4,000 patients enrolled in 685 clinical studies in 2022. It has more than 38,000 employees and over 4,600 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 48 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2022, Ochsner Health treated more than 1.4 million people from every state and 62 countries. As Louisiana’s top healthcare educator of physicians, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/
About Ochsner Eat Fit
Eat Fit is a nonprofit initiative of Ochsner Health, designed to help the community live their healthiest, strongest lives possible. The team of Eat Fit dietitians works closely with local restaurants, markets and other foodservice establishments to identify and develop dishes that meet the Eat Fit nutritional criteria. These items are identified directly on the menu with the Eat Fit seal of approval, making the healthy choice the easy choice when dining out.
Free to all restaurants and foodservice partners, Eat Fit encourages nutritious choices whether an individual is looking to lose weight, feel better or look better, as well as help to manage health issues including diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure.
With nearly 600 partners, Eat Fit has expanded across the state to include Eat Fit Northshore, Eat Fit BR, Eat Fit Acadiana, Eat Fit Shreveport and Eat Fit Monroe.
The Eat Fit team connects deeply within the Eat Fit communities, serving as a resource for all things wellness. Download the Eat Fit smartphone app to find participating restaurants with full nutrition facts of Eat Fit menu items, as well as recipes, community wellness resources, and to connect with a health professional in your area. In addition to Craft, the Eat Fit team also offers recipes for the home with The Eat Fit Cookbook, a compilation of 125 recipes from 40 Eat Fit partners, at www.EatFitCookbook.com.
Follow @EatFitOchsner on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and visit www.OchsnerEatFit.com for more information about Eat Fit in your region.
