Savor the Flavors of Healthy Ethnic Cooking with Get Healthy CT

From an international guide to spices to cooking tips, Get Healthy CT provides free monthly resources to help prevent obesity

Recognizing that variety is the spice of life, Get Healthy Connecticut is encouraging people to savor the flavors of ethnic cooking the healthy way. From tasty recipes to a list of spices used in various cultures; from creative preparation suggestions to tips for celebrating healthier foods, the coalition has collected resources from some of the most respected organizations to make healthy eating easier. This information and much more is available free online at http://www.GetHealthyCT.org and in print at locations across the region.

“One of the biggest challenges to eating well is falling in to a rut and eating the same foods over and over and that gets boring,” shared Esperina Baptiste Stubblefield, co-chair of Get Healthy CT’s Healthy Eating Task Force and executive director, Ralphola Taylor Community Center YMCA. “Mixing up your menu and experimenting with interesting ingredients and spices can keep you motivated to stay on track. In a diverse community such as ours, it’s important to know that there are tasty and satisfying alternatives for many international dishes.”

To make getting started even easier, there’s a section on http://www.GetHealthyCT.org called “Produce of the Week” that introduces a new fruit or vegetable 52 weeks a year. Each week offers a simple guide with tips for selecting and preparing that week’s fresh produce, nutrition facts, and recipes, too.

Free Resources for healthy ethnic cooking month:

·      Healthy Ethnic Recipe Resources (Source: http://gethealthyct.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Recipe-resource-list.pdf)

·      Preparing Healthful Ethnic Foods (Source: http://gethealthyct.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Preparing-healthful-ethnic-foods.pdf)

·      International Guide to Spices (Source: http://gethealthyct.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/International-Guide-to-Spices.pdf)

·      Ethnic and Regional Good Cooking Tips (Source: http://gethealthyct.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/EnjoyFoodsFromManyCultures.pdf)

·      10 Tips to Wisely Celebrate Healthier Foods and Customs (Source: http://gethealthyct.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/EnjoyFoodsFromManyCultures.pdf) 

·      BONUS: Physical activity directory in your town (Source: http://gethealthyct.org/pa-city-search/)

Click here to download the entire April resource packet. (http://bit.ly/1mHZ4wZ)

Through a grant from the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County, Get Healthy CT focuses on a different obesity prevention topic each month and provides resources in print and online. Printed information packets are available at libraries, community centers, regional health departments, and other locations. The same packets are available online at http://www.GetHealthyCT.org to download and reprint.

Get Healthy CT works collaboratively with key stakeholders in the greater Bridgeport and New Haven regions to remove the barriers to healthy eating and physical activity. More than 100 large and small businesses and nonprofit and community organizations have joined the coalition to date, along with individuals and families, too.

When joining Get Healthy CT, members commit to two simple pledges: a Healthy Eating Pledge and a Physical Activity Pledge. Get Healthy CT also has created the Step It Up campaign, which encourages people to take the stairs whenever possible or find other no-cost ways to incorporate walking into their daily routines. The pledges and the free Step It Up resources are available online at http://wwwGetHealthyCT.org.

Obesity in the Region:

The obesity rates in the United States and greater Bridgeport region are increasing due to a myriad of factors such as portion sizes, food choices, lack of convenient supermarkets in neighborhoods, consumer advertising, food costs, and more sedentary lifestyles. Likewise, it is clear that obesity contributes to other serious health complications including diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, to name a few. According to the Greater Bridgeport Community Health Assessment (March 2013), survey respondents in Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford, and Trumbull report obesity rates ranging from 16% to 32%.

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About Get Healthy CT

Founded in 2010, Get Healthy CT (GHCT) is a coalition of large and small businesses and nonprofit and community organizations that are collaborating to reduce obesity in the greater Bridgeport and New Haven regions. To accomplish this goal, Get Healthy CT strives to educate and encourage people to eat healthier and exercise more in order to stay healthy and productive. There is no cost to become a member. To learn more, visit http://www.GetHealthyCT.org or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Healthy-CT/627153837349035?ref=hl.