Ready for a healthier diet that's packed with more plants? Sign up for Baptist Health’s special half-day wellness event featuring best-selling authors Dr. Michael Greger (How Not to Die) and Marco Borges (The Greenprint and The 22 Days Revolution), health screenings, a plant-based community expo and a plant-based lunch, too. The event is Thur., May 30.
Participants will be able to learn about plant-based foods, then put into practice what they’ve learned, says Natalie Castro, chief wellness dietitian at Baptist Health South Florida. “People will be able to join a six-month challenge and stay committed.” All participants will get supportive resources to maintain healthy habits, and follow up at the Seed Food and Wine Festival on Nov. 9.
If your hospital dining experiences summon up memories of bland pasta dishes and wrapped-up sandwiches, a trip to Baptist Health’s cafeterias may change your mind. Fried foods are never on the menu. Their focus on providing fresh, healthy food starts at the top.Instead of typical foodservice that serves institutional meals, Baptist uses executive chefs who are trained in making food “with your health in mind,” says Castro.
“In 2017, Baptist chefs began training for veg-forward dishes, not just making vegetables as side dishes.” They learned techniques using aquafaba – the garbanzo-bean liquid that whips up like egg whites – and making fresh veggie patties. Baptist Health hospitals now offer $4 plant-based meals in their cafes and dining rooms, which attract regular diners as well as patient families and visitors.
Serving fresh produce from their own organic Grow2Heal garden at Homestead Hospital has turned out to be so successful that they’ve started a second organic garden at West Kendall Baptist Hospital.
“We’re growing our own fruits and vegetables now,” Castro says. They’re also connecting with local business to built a healthy community.
The outcome? Participants will be better equipped to find ways to reduce health risks by choosing more delicious food choices instead of using more medicine to treat the condition. And that’s an easier pill to swallow.
EAT WELL, BE WELL
When: Thurs., May 30, 11am-4pm
Where: Hilton Miami Dadeland, 9100 N Kendall Dr., Grand Ballroom
What it includes: Program, plant-based lunch provided by Table 55, a new farm-to-table restaurant, free cholesterol and blood pressure screenings. Local vendors at the Plant-based Community Expo offer services to support a healthy lifestyle. First 100 attendees will receive starter plants from the Grow2Heal community garden at Homestead Hospital.
Cost: $89
Register here.
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