Wellness Wednesdays: Eating healthy doesn’t have to taste bad

Hidden Veggie Mac & Cheese, Vegetable Hash and Pumpkin Muffins … hungry yet? These are just a few of the recipes you will see on Wellness Wednesdays on 17 News.

Adventist Health is partnering with KGET TV 17 News and The Edible Schoolyard Kern County to bring healthy recipes to the residents of Kern County.

Adventist Health is committed to improving the health of Kern County. The first step to good health is eating better. Here in Kern County, obesity is a problem along with diabetes and heart disease. By eating better many people can reduce their risks for developing those serious diseases.

“I know it sounds odd for a healthcare company to say we want you to be healthier,” said Kiyoshi Tomono, Vice President of Community Partnership, adding “Adventist Health is more than just hospital we are a wellness organization.”

In fact, Adventist Health recently partnered with Blue Zones. Blue Zones aims at making communities healthier, so the partnership was perfect because both organizations have the same goal.

Most people may already know about blue zone areas. These are areas of the world that have the most people living there over the age of 100. Loma Linda, Calif. just to the south of us here in Kern County, tops the list. Researchers have found besides leading an active lifestyle … people in these areas are eating well. Many are even vegetarians.

We are excited to partner with KGET and The Edible Schoolyard Kern County, a program of the Grimm Family Education Foundation to offer some new delicious and healthy recipes to everyone in our community. “We also want people to know eating healthy doesn’t have to be tasteless. We will bring a wide array of options so people can integrate these recipes in their own diets and kitchens at home, “said Kiyoshi.

The long-term partnership between The Edible Schoolyard Kern County and Adventist Health aligns or missions because both are focused on wellness. The Edible Schoolyard Kern County focuses on the seed to table cycle and helps families learn to love where their food comes from.

The Edible Schoolyard Kern County has hundreds of recipes in their curriculum database that align with Blue Zones – focusing on nutrition and seasonality.

You can watch Wellness Wednesday each morning on KGET TV 17 or you can go to Wellness Wednesday.