PromotionThe Irish Heart Foundation launched its month-long "Happy Heart Eat Out" campaign yesterday, encouraging restaurants, hotels and pubs to provide healthier choices to customers with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables.
The IHF is also in June providing more than 600 establishments with posters, information cards to be placed on tables, and heart stickers to be attached to menus, signifying a healthy dish.This is the campaign's 13th year.
"To reduce the levels of overweight and obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses, we need to change, among other things, the type of food we consume," said Ms Maureen Mulvihill, the IHF's health promotion manager.
"Choosing low-fat dishes with lots of fruit and vegetables, both at home and when eating out, can not only help reduce levels of overweight and risk of heart disease, but these dishes are as delicious, tasty and enjoyable as higher-fat versions."
Mr Aidan McManus, president of the Restaurants Association of Ireland and owner of the King Sitric Restaurant in Howth, said his organisation had been involved with the "Happy Heart" promotion for about 12 years. "Most of us were at first quite reluctant to get involved, because we were using a lot cream and butter," he said.
"It has taken us several years to respond, both to the medical side and our customer side," he said, noting that today's customers are much more health-conscious than.
Mr McManus said he thought most "mature" and fine-dining customers were aware that they should eat healthier foods, but younger people were either oblivious to health concerns or unwilling to change their diets. "In the future we need to be much more conscious about getting the message to school children," he said.
The IHF has provided a recipe book to chefs and restaurants around the Republic. Recipes are available in the Happy Heart Cookbook at bookstores or at the IHF's website, irishheart.ie