Essentia Health promotes healthy eating in Norman, Polk and Mahnomen counties

Essentia Health is working to improve community health in area counties by promoting better nutrition, one of the top priorities identified in its most recent Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).

Just like patients, each community has unique needs. To determine priorities, Essentia conducts a CHNA every three years in each community that is home to one of its 14 hospitals, including Ada and Fosston. Town hall meetings, focus groups and surveys are among the ways Essentia collects information on what is important to people and what gaps we can help address.

To support this tri-county area effort, Essentia is reaching out to local restaurants with an invitation to offer a "Healthy Approved Meal" on their menus. This initiative is being implemented in partnership with the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) and Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Community Health Services.

A Healthy Approved Meal must meet a few simple nutritional guidelines: It must be under 600 calories, include a lean protein and contain vegetables. The goal is to encourage healthy eating by making nutritious options more visible and accessible when dining out.

Many local eating establishments already offer meals that meet these guidelines. This program simply highlights those options on menus to increase awareness and support healthier choices in the community.

By emphasizing nutrition and promoting healthier food options in restaurants, Essentia and Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Community Health Services hope to make it easier for individuals and families across the region to make informed decisions that contribute to long-term wellness.

"We're proud to partner with public health and SHIP to promote healthier eating in our community," said Katie Vasey, community health specialist at Essentia. "By working together, we are able to amplify the work we do to make a healthy difference and have an even greater impact."

Next time you're out grabbing a bite to eat, look for the Healthy Approved Meal logo to know you're making the healthiest choice.

Community Health Needs Assessments are posted publicly online at EssentiaHealth.org/About/CHNA. Here, you can learn more about the work Essentia has identified through these surveys, completed and is working to complete moving forward.