Lancaster General teams up with downtown fixture for family-friendly wellness events
LANCASTER GENERAL is in the market for new strategies to fight the obesity epidemic.
So the health system is teaming up with a highly visible purveyor of fresh fruits and vegetables: Lancaster Central Market.
The duo's new initiative, set to kick off next month, will encourage healthy eating - especially locally grown produce - with ongoing family-friendly events.
Educational wellness activities from scavenger hunts to cooking demonstrations will be held at unoccupied stands and outside Market. All events are free and open to the community.
The new program is part of Lancaster General's wide-ranging healthy weight-management initiative.
"Six of the 10 leading causes of death in Lancaster County are attributed to overweight and obesity," says Alice Yoder, LG director of community health.
Crowds of diverse shoppers three days a week - at least some presumably interested in healthy eating - make Central Market a good venue to spread LG's healthy-eating message.
Sam Neff, of market fixture S. Clyde Weaver, says standholders are excited about the possibilities of the partnership, which he says is a match made in healthy-eating heaven.
"I think it will bring more people into the market in the long run," he says. "It just becomes an extra pull, an extra magnet to it all."
The events are fun ways to raise awareness and give people practical tips needed to make better choices, says Rosemary C. Search, LG manager of community health and wellness.
Shoppers will learn new uses for unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, healthier approaches to canning and how to enhance vegetables' flavor with herbs, instead of butter and salt.
"You might pick up a zucchini and not not know what to do with it, how to prepare it," Search says.
Neff says advertising claims or lack of information can confuse customers looking for healthy choices.
LG dietitians will help interested standholders label their products with accurate nutritional information.
"We want to make it easy for people to go through Central Market and pick healthier items," Yoder says.
So should standholders selling, say, smoked meats and cheeses be worried?
Neff isn't. He encourages people to exercise moderation, using Weaver's own higher-fat offerings for flavor, not the main ingredient.
"The intent of the program is not to say that particular foods are outright bad, but to ... understand that a healthy diet involves balance," Neff says.
"This isn't a judgment thing. It's to help people make better decisions."
There's nothing wrong with eating a few cubes of cheese.
Just don't down a half-pound every day.
IN THE MARKET FOR GOOD HEALTH
Here's a look at some of the planned wellness events and activities at Central Market:
A Healthy Freezing and Canning Workshop is planned for Saturday, Sept. 13, during the end-of-season rush to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables.
"People look at Lancaster County and think everyone knows how to can and freeze," Lancaster General director of community health Alice Yoder says, but actually there's quite a generation gap in know-how.
Market vendors and LG dietitians will share tips for safe and healthy freezing and canning, including how to preserve flavor and nutritional value without adding too much sugar and salt.
Market's popular annual Harvest Breakfast, set for Oct. 4, features cooking demonstrations and breakfast foods.
"This time it's going to have a bit of a healthy twist," LG healthy weight management coordinator Ivonne Lambie says.
Dietitians will promote healthy choices with ingredient substitutions, like an omelet with broccoli, instead of sausage.
Scavenger hunts will challenge adults and children to find specific items at Market stands, increasing awareness of fresh food and healthy choices.
Peak-of-freshness calendars will show when local produce is in season, along with recipes, nutrition information and wellness tips. (As an added bonus, shopping in-season usually costs less.)
Vegetables aren't so healthy when smothered in butter and salt. Dietitians will share flavorful pairings of vegetables with herbs and spices, along with ingredient substitutions for healthier baked goods and marinades.
Market will showcase two upcoming LG cookbooks filled with lightened-up versions of traditional recipes from the Hispanic and black communities.
An interactive Web site will feature recipes, wellness tips, healthy cooking ideas, event schedules, fact sheets and links to more information.
Contact New Era staff writer Mary Beth Schweigert, mschweigert@lnpnews.com.
