Center for Clinical and Translational Science

In keeping with the commitment by the Hospital to improve the health of the community by reducing obesity, one of the top priorities of the New York Department of Health, the Bionutrition Department has initiated a series of nutrition and cooking demonstrations for Hospital staff that will go through May on the first Thursday of each month at lunch-time. The program is predicated on the evidence that one way to prevent obesity is to eat more home-cooked meals, which allows one to better control the food that one eats by selecting the ingredients and controlling portion size.

Participants will prepare their own lunch under the direction of Chef Victor Baez, who will provide short-cut ideas and describe cooking techniques. Ms. Glenis George-Alexander, RDN, Bionutrition Department Manager will advise on nutrition tips and ingredient substitutions, and Dacia Vasquez, DTR, Production Supervisor Bionutrition, will provide recommendations on where to purchase the ingredients and which ones to select to minimize preparation time.

The attendees who participated in the kick-off Nutritious and Delicious Recipe demonstration enjoyed making their own personal pizzas. Jackie Cheng from the Medical Staff Office commented, “I never knew how to take the extra water out of sautéed mushrooms.”

Pauline Johnson, Clinical Research Specialist commented, “It is so easy to mince garlic to add to ricotta cheese for this delicious white pizza.” Awilda Meijas from the Pharmacy Department expressed appreciation for the demonstration, and concluded “I never knew that making a personnel pizza can be easy, delicious, and nutritious.”

The planned recipes for future demonstrations will be low in calories, but rich in a variety of nutrients. The goal is to be able to make the recipe within 30 minutes.

The hospital staff will be notified about future demonstrations via email. The messages will include instructions on how to reserve your place. Demonstrations will be scheduled for both lunch time and 5 pm to accommodate people’s schedules. Participating in a demonstration is a great way to achieve almost everyone’s New Year’s resolution to eat healthier foods!