Eleven local restaurants join El Paso�s �Eat Well!� family

The month of September is designated as National Childhood Obesity Prevention Month and the City of El Paso Department of Public Health’s Eat Well! El Paso program is helping to make it easier for families to take steps to improve their health.

These and existing Eat Well! El Paso restaurants commit to improving their menu options specifically for children by improving entrée and side offerings, using healthier cooking methods, and offering healthier beverage options. Owners receive assistance from nutrition professionals, at no cost, to create a new children’s menu with healthier selections.

By becoming an Eat Well! El Paso restaurant, these businesses are not only responding to current industry and customer trends toward healthier and fresher foods, they also help create a healthier food environment for our community.

“We are so pleased to have these new restaurants on board and to see the enthusiasm they have for improving our community’s well-being,” said Joy Leos, Health Project Coordinator. “In addition to adding restaurants our program continues to evolve with the addition of new adult menus that include more fruits and vegetables and healthier ingredients.”

A total of 25 restaurants are now part of the Eat Well! family. The 11 new participating restaurants are:

Restaurants with new Eat Well! adult menu options include: Gonzalos G&R Restaurant, Garufa Argentinean Restaurant, T-Coasters, and The Grooovy Smoothie.

The El Paso Restaurant Association, the El Paso Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the College of Health Science at UTEP endorse Eat Well! El Paso. The program is made possible through a Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) grant from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation.

Background on National Childhood Obesity Prevention Month

About 1 of every 5 (17%) children in the United States is obese and certain groups of children are more affected than others. While there is no single or simple solution, National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month provides an opportunity for learning about ways to prevent and address this serious health concern.

Children who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults. This can lead to lifelong physical and mental health problems, including diabetes and increased risk of certain cancers.

Childhood obesity is influenced by many factors. For some children and families, factors include too much time spent in sedentary activities such as television viewing, a lack of bedtime routine leading to too little sleep, a lack of community places to get adequate physical activity, easy access to inexpensive, high calorie snacks and beverages, and/or a lack of access to affordable, healthier foods.

There are ways parents can help prevent obesity and support healthy growth in children. To help ensure that children have a healthy weight, energy balance is important. To achieve this balance, parents can make sure children get adequate sleep, follow recommendations on daily screen time, take part in regular physical activity, and eat the right amount of calories.

Parents can substitute higher nutrient, lower calorie foods such as fruit and vegetables in place of foods with higher-calorie ingredients, such as added sugars and solid fats. They can serve children fruit and vegetables at meals and as snacks and ensure access to water as a no-calorie alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages. Parents can help children get the recommended amount of physical activity each day by encouraging them to participate in activities that are age-appropriate and enjoyable.

The efforts and services offered by the Department of Public Health support the City of El Paso’s strategic goal to nurture and promote a healthy, sustainable community.

For more information on the programs and services offered by the Department of Public Health, please visit www.EPHealth.com or dial 211.

Author: City of El Paso