Choosing baked over fried, vegetables over mac ‘n’ cheese and a big, leafy salad over a slice (or three) of pepperoni pizza sounds obvious, right?
The notion of eating healthy and the reality of people’s everyday food choices are often at odds, which is one reason why heart disease is still the number one killer of all Americans.
Since 80 percent of cardiovascular disease is preventable, why aren’t we making simple changes to our diets to be healthier?
It’s complicated. Think about all the factors that go into choosing what we eat: convenience, time, taste preference, social pressure, price and education. There’s simply no one-size-fits-all solution.
That’s why the American Heart Association is committed to changing the paradigm to inspire consumers and the food industry to change. You can’t choose what’s not there – whether you are at the market, at a restaurant or in the school lunch line.
Inspiring change
In 2015, the American Heart Association and Aramark, the largest United States-based food service company, teamed up to help millions of Americans be healthier. The five-year Healthy for Life® 20 By 20 initiative helps people eat better at home and away through menu innovation and consumer education.
Aramark serves nearly 2 billion meals every year. Just by reimaging its menus, it has created 2 billion new ways for people to eat smarter and make a tremendous potential impact in people’s overall health.
Our collective work is also focused on supporting underserved communities. The Healthy for Life community program is helping families eat better while also boosting their confidence to cook at home.
By collaborating with companies like Aramark, the American Heart Association is leading change by working with industry leaders to transform the food system — and help make the easy choice the healthy choice.
You have the power to inspire change beyond your own plate. This March, National Nutrition Month, commit to eating better. Then pledge to raise your voice and vote with your dollars to champion a healthier food supply for all.
Nancy Brown, CEO, American Heart Association, [email protected]