TAMPA, FL (February 21, 2019) — Tampa General Hospital is the first hospital in the nation to receive Heart-Check mark certification from the American Heart Association for its heart-healthy recipes. The designation means these recipes meet the American Heart Association’s strict requirements for heart-healthy meals.
The recipes are posted on the hospital website at www.tgh.org.
The mark will be displayed on these recipes starting this month. More recipes will be added as they are certified.
“We are thrilled to see the Heart-Check mark on our recipes,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. “We hope this certification can help inspire and guide individuals to make healthier choices when preparing meals at home.”
Tampa General strives to seek innovative ways to improve health, Couris said.
“We’re so pleased that Tampa General is sharing these heart-healthy recipes,” said Jaclyn Young, executive director of the American Heart Association Tampa Bay. “This is another example of the hospital’s commitment to improving the lives and health of Tampa Bay residents.”
Tampa General’s original recipes are authored by Jamie Vespa, MS, RD, LD/N, a former dietitian at Tampa General who is also a food editor who blogs at her site Dishing Out Health. (www.dishingouthealth.com.) Her recipes demonstrate that healthy food can still be delicious and easy to make. The certified recipes include Sheet-Pan Chili-Lemon Salmon and Island Turkey Burgers with Jalapeno Guacamole.
The American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark has been helping consumers identify foods that can be part of an overall healthy
eating pattern since 1995 and began certifying recipes in 2016. To see all the Tampa General recipes that have received Heart-Check certification, visit https://www.tgh.org/news/recipe-categories/aha-approved-heart-healthy
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ABOUT THE HEART-CHECK MARK
The American Heart Association established the Heart-Check mark in 1995 to give consumers an easy, reliable system for identifying heart-healthy foods as a first step in building a sensible eating plan. Recipe certification was adding in 2016. Products and recipes displaying the Heart-Check mark have been certified by the American Heart Association to meet criteria for heart-healthy foods and recipes. To learn more about Heart-Check certification visit www.heartcheck.org.
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1010-bed non-profit academic medical center, delivers world-class care as the region’s only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. It is one of the nation’s busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Advancing medicine through innovation, Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, an 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a state-certified spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation center. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.