E-Health Info

Haute healthy cuisine

Here’s one workplace cafeteria with a tasty menu that’s good for you, too

July 18, 2007

ERIK FROESE
Apple Magazine

As you gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows down a poplar-pregnant river valley towards the twilit Rocky Mountains, the choices on the menu seem even more appetizing.

Consider the chef’s specials, which include Grilled Salmon with Sicilian Tomato Sauce and Herbed Italian Rice. Or, if you prefer, there is a Remoulade Mahi Mahi Open-Face Sandwich. The menu also offers Chicken Souvlaki with Grilled Pita Bread. And Lemon-Herbed Salmon. And Tuscan Herb and Olive Chicken Breast. And cheddar cheese scones or a variety of muffins, cooked onsite daily. There’s also a fresh pasta bar, and an Asian stir fry bar. You can even buy sushi, if so inclined. All of these meals are planned and prepared by a Red Seal Chef, Jose Navarro and his dedicated staff.

But despite the trendy bistro trappings, this is not LaCaille On the Bow. This is the Alberta Children’s Hospital’s new Mountain View Cafeteria. And while the food is different from the old children’s hospital, the intent here is not simply to offer up fare with a fashionable flare. Rather, it is to create a workplace cafeteria that dishes up healthy meals that also taste good. Call it an experiment in haute-healthy cuisine.

What accounts for this dramatic culinary change? Well, the answer is actually quite simple. Like many workplace cafeterias, the one at the old ACH didn’t exactly set the standard for healthy eating. The menu contained the usual assortment of deep-fried offerings, including french fries and burgers. Not the kind of fare one should find in a hospital cafeteria, especially since the Calgary Health Region sees healthy eating choices as a key ingredient to overall wellness. So, when Brenda Fischer, Vice-President of Child and Women’s Health for the Region, and her team set about designing the new children’s hospital, the time seemed ripe for including a healthy workplace cafeteria, one that would appeal to hospital workers and visitors, as well as serve as a model for healthy workplace cafeterias everywhere.

Fresh start

Mona Pinder, Director of Wellness for the Region, chaired the committee struck to develop new Healthy Eating Guidelines for the Region’s internal food providers. “With the children’s hospital opening last September, we had a perfect opportunity to try something new,” says Pinder. “So when we developed the new guidelines, we tried to include a variety of healthier choices, and this became the basis for our Regional initiative.”

Michele Rondot, Food Services Co-ordinator, played a key role in devising the new food guidelines. She says the new criteria are rooted in the Growing Up Healthy Initiative, a Region project to prevent weight gain in adolescents. “If the Region was going to be an advisor on healthy eating to schools, we had to live it to lead it, right?”

In developing the new menu for the ACH, a variety of healthier food choices was added into the mix, including the aforementioned dishes, as well as an assortment of salads, more fruit and vegetable choices marketed appropriately, fresh-squeezed juices, an emphasis on whole grain breads, and a soup and sandwich bar.

But Pinder is quick to add that the new ACH cafeteria menu isn’t just about being healthier. “It’s also about tasting better. We want to make eating enjoyable, because a big part of wellness is your spirituality and mental health.”

The new hospital lends itself to such an approach. It features a wide open, nicely designed dining area with one of the best views in the city. Combine that with a more nutritious and considerably broader selection of food options (for rather reasonable prices, around $7.50 for a main dish), and you’ve got a facility quite different from the standard truck stop-style, workplace cafeteria.

Big changes

Among the other important ACH cafeteria improvements: Instead of a deep fryer, a high speed convection oven was installed; vending machines filled with water, milk and juice; slushy dispensers containing only 100 per cent fruit products; and a wide variety of grab-and-go salads, among other things. Oh, and no regular pop – only diet.
Rondot says reaction to the new menu has been primarily positive, and sales are up about 20 per cent relative to the old site. Rondot says she’d love to attribute that increase exclusively to the nutritious and tasty menu, but acknowledges that it probably has something to do with the ambience of the new location and slightly increased traffic.

The ACH cafeteria isn’t the only one to experience change. The Region has revamped internal food services at all urban and rural hospitals in an effort to provide healthier options for staff and visitors. While staff and visitors are the prime beneficiaries of these changes, the Region hopes its efforts will send a signal to the community at large.

Diet plays a key role in the health of individuals, and many people eat at least one out of three meals every day at a workplace cafeteria. By figuring out first-hand how to provide quality nutritional options in a wellness-conscious environment, the Region hopes to set an example that other interested facilities can follow.

“These changes were first and foremost about providing our staff with healthier foods,” says Pinder. “But it also (provides) a different way of thinking for (other) cafeterias, so the work that Michele and her team did at the children’s hospital is almost inspiring a food revolution throughout the community.”

Indeed, the Region is already working with some schools to improve cafeteria menus, and there is some discussion about how the changes at the ACH cafeteria can be used to educate restaurants looking to rid their kitchens of trans fats.

While menu choices are important, Rondot says portion sizes also play an important role in creating a healthier cafeteria. “Part of the problem with healthy eating is that people generally have a good idea of what they should be trying to eat, but the whole concept of portion size is out of line. Our best-selling desserts are rice krispy and puffed wheat squares. From a dietitian’s point of view, I can justify them, but only with a proper portion.

And with a half-portion came half the price. People look at the portion and price and realize that if it is priced appropriately, they’re okay with it.” The same is true of many other products including popsicles, cookies and brownies. Adds Pinder: “We’re trying to follow the 80/20 guideline (in what we offer). “Eighty-twenty is what groups such as the Dietitians of Canada recommend. You can still get your treats, but if you aim for an 80 per cent healthy diet, you’ll be doing pretty well.” And when the 80 per cent looks this good, who needs the other 20?

Erik Froese is a Calgary writer.

Related Features Haute healthy cuisine A recipe for a healthier cafeteria	E-Health Info Haute healthy cuisine Here’s one workplace cafeteria with a tasty menu that’s good for you, too July 18, 2007 ERIK FROESE Apple Magazine As you gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows down a poplar-pregnant river valley towards the twilit Rocky Mountains, the choices on the menu seem even more appetizing. Consider the chef’s specials, which include Grilled Salmon with Sicilian Tomato Sauce and Herbed Italian Rice. Or, if you prefer, there is a Remoulade Mahi Mahi Open-Face Sandwich. The menu also offers Chicken Souvlaki with Grilled Pita Bread. And Lemon-Herbed Salmon. And Tuscan Herb and Olive Chicken Breast. And cheddar cheese scones or a variety of muffins, cooked onsite daily. There’s also a fresh pasta bar, and an Asian stir fry bar. You can even buy sushi, if so inclined. All of these meals are planned and prepared by a Red Seal Chef, Jose Navarro and his dedicated staff. But despite the trendy bistro trappings, this is not LaCaille On the Bow. This is the Alberta Children’s Hospital’s new Mountain View Cafeteria. And while the food is different from the old children’s hospital, the intent here is not simply to offer up fare with a fashionable flare. Rather, it is to create a workplace cafeteria that dishes up healthy meals that also taste good. Call it an experiment in haute-healthy cuisine. What accounts for this dramatic culinary change? Well, the answer is actually quite simple. Like many workplace cafeterias, the one at the old ACH didn’t exactly set the standard for healthy eating. The menu contained the usual assortment of deep-fried offerings, including french fries and burgers. Not the kind of fare one should find in a hospital cafeteria, especially since the Calgary Health Region sees healthy eating choices as a key ingredient to overall wellness. So, when Brenda Fischer, Vice-President of Child and Women’s Health for the Region, and her team set about designing the new children’s hospital, the time seemed ripe for including a healthy workplace cafeteria, one that would appeal to hospital workers and visitors, as well as serve as a model for healthy workplace cafeterias everywhere. Fresh start Mona Pinder, Director of Wellness for the Region, chaired the committee struck to develop new Healthy Eating Guidelines for the Region’s internal food providers. “With the children’s hospital opening last September, we had a perfect opportunity to try something new,” says Pinder. “So when we developed the new guidelines, we tried to include a variety of healthier choices, and this became the basis for our Regional initiative.” Michele Rondot, Food Services Co-ordinator, played a key role in devising the new food guidelines. She says the new criteria are rooted in the Growing Up Healthy Initiative, a Region project to prevent weight gain in adolescents. “If the Region was going to be an advisor on healthy eating to schools, we had to live it to lead it, right?” In developing the new menu for the ACH, a variety of healthier food choices was added into the mix, including the aforementioned dishes, as well as an assortment of salads, more fruit and vegetable choices marketed appropriately, fresh-squeezed juices, an emphasis on whole grain breads, and a soup and sandwich bar. But Pinder is quick to add that the new ACH cafeteria menu isn’t just about being healthier. “It’s also about tasting better. We want to make eating enjoyable, because a big part of wellness is your spirituality and mental health.” The new hospital lends itself to such an approach. It features a wide open, nicely designed dining area with one of the best views in the city. Combine that with a more nutritious and considerably broader selection of food options (for rather reasonable prices, around $7.50 for a main dish), and you’ve got a facility quite different from the standard truck stop-style, workplace cafeteria. Big changes Among the other important ACH cafeteria improvements: Instead of a deep fryer, a high speed convection oven was installed; vending machines filled with water, milk and juice; slushy dispensers containing only 100 per cent fruit products; and a wide variety of grab-and-go salads, among other things. Oh, and no regular pop – only diet. Rondot says reaction to the new menu has been primarily positive, and sales are up about 20 per cent relative to the old site. Rondot says she’d love to attribute that increase exclusively to the nutritious and tasty menu, but acknowledges that it probably has something to do with the ambience of the new location and slightly increased traffic. The ACH cafeteria isn’t the only one to experience change. The Region has revamped internal food services at all urban and rural hospitals in an effort to provide healthier options for staff and visitors. While staff and visitors are the prime beneficiaries of these changes, the Region hopes its efforts will send a signal to the community at large. Diet plays a key role in the health of individuals, and many people eat at least one out of three meals every day at a workplace cafeteria. By figuring out first-hand how to provide quality nutritional options in a wellness-conscious environment, the Region hopes to set an example that other interested facilities can follow. “These changes were first and foremost about providing our staff with healthier foods,” says Pinder. “But it also (provides) a different way of thinking for (other) cafeterias, so the work that Michele and her team did at the children’s hospital is almost inspiring a food revolution throughout the community.” Indeed, the Region is already working with some schools to improve cafeteria menus, and there is some discussion about how the changes at the ACH cafeteria can be used to educate restaurants looking to rid their kitchens of trans fats. While menu choices are important, Rondot says portion sizes also play an important role in creating a healthier cafeteria. “Part of the problem with healthy eating is that people generally have a good idea of what they should be trying to eat, but the whole concept of portion size is out of line. Our best-selling desserts are rice krispy and puffed wheat squares. From a dietitian’s point of view, I can justify them, but only with a proper portion. And with a half-portion came half the price. People look at the portion and price and realize that if it is priced appropriately, they’re okay with it.” The same is true of many other products including popsicles, cookies and brownies. Adds Pinder: “We’re trying to follow the 80/20 guideline (in what we offer). “Eighty-twenty is what groups such as the Dietitians of Canada recommend. You can still get your treats, but if you aim for an 80 per cent healthy diet, you’ll be doing pretty well.” And when the 80 per cent looks this good, who needs the other 20? Erik Froese is a Calgary writer.	CHR Healthy Eating Guidelines Healthy Eating Guidelines More information Michele Rondot at 955-7402 Healthy Recipes Bran Muffins Broccoli Mandarin Orange Salad Chicken Fajita Pizza Roasted Vegetables Yogurt Fruit Parfait
	E-mail comments to e-Health Info Webmaster. Page last updated on: May 05, 2008

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E-Health Info

Haute healthy cuisine

Here’s one workplace cafeteria with a tasty menu that’s good for you, too

Fresh start

Big changes

CHR Healthy Eating Guidelines

Healthy Recipes