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October 2-8 is Health Care Food Service Workers Week
Our health care food service workers play a significant role in the day-to-day operation of a health care facility. You cater meetings, provide take-out orders for staff and visitors, and of course, prepare healthy meals for patients of all backgrounds and health needs. Your work behind-the-scenes is even more amazing. You manage the extensive inventory of food for hundreds and thousands of meals. You and your health care food service team maintains kitchens, cafeterias, and dining halls at very high standards of cleanliness. You develop and improve recipes and collaborate with area farmers to use fresh, local produce. Thank you for all that you do!
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Dimensions of Wellness
Wellness is the act of practicing healthy habits daily to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so that instead of just surviving, you’re thriving. According to Debbie Stoewen, there are eight mutually interdependent dimensions of wellness including emotional, physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental. All dimensions are important and should be given their due attention because neglect of one dimension can have adverse effects on the others and one’s quality of life. This month, we encourage you to focus on the emotional dimension which includes understanding and respecting one’s feelings, values, and attitudes, appreciating the feelings of others, managing your emotions in a constructive way, and feeling positive and enthusiastic about your life. Take the time to review your emotional state over the past year and attempt to give this dimension some attention in order to balance your quality of life.
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Worth a Read:
Boost Your Immune System with Food as Flu Season Approach
Feeding your body certain foods may help keep your immune system strong. If you’re looking for ways to prevent colds, the flu, and other infections, your first step should be a visit to your local grocery store. Plan your meals to include these 15 powerful immune system boosters.
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- Citrus fruits
- Red bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Spinach
- Yogurt
- Almonds
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- Sunflower seeds
- Turmeric
- Green tea
- Papaya
- Kiwi
- Poultry
- Shellfish
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Healthy Recipe: Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew
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Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients for Stew
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed
- 1 ½ cups frozen cut Italian (Romano) beans (see Tip)
- 12 ounces baby yellow potatoes
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for serving
- 1 cup low-sodium no-chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish
Ingredients for Fresh Garlic Croutons
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3 cups cubed (1-inch) crusty whole-grain bread
Instructions
- Place tomatoes and their juice in a 4- to 7-quart slow cooker and crush them with your hands or a potato masher. Add cannellini beans, frozen beans, potatoes, onion, oregano, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Stir in broth and cover. Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.
- To prepare croutons: About 30 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mash chopped garlic into a paste with a fork or the side of a chef's knife. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons oil and Italian seasoning. Add bread and toss to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Just before serving, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring, until just golden, about 1 minute. Stir the garlic and oil into the slow cooker. Divide the stew among 6 bowls and top with the croutons. Serve with more crushed red pepper and Parmesan, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
1-1/2 cup stew; 1/2 cup croutons: 407 calories; protein 16g; carbohydrates 62.8g; dietary fiber 12.4g; sugars 10.7g; fat 10.9g; saturated fat 1.6g; sodium 829.3mg Diabetic Exchanges: 3-1/2 starch, 1-1/2 fat, 1-1/2 vegetable, 1/2 lean protein.
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Healthier Hospital Initiative Materials
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- Save the date for the next Committee Meeting on November 30.
- Don't forget to share your wellness stories with us!
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The Healthier Hospital Initiative is a partnership between DCHA Program Services Company, Inc. and DC Health to reduce the availability and consumption of sugar sweetened beverages and to promote healthier eating choices in DC hospitals.
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