News for February 2010
Florida Hospital and Wholesome Tummies Encourage Healthy Lunches
Posted February 28 2010
In a society where childhood obesity is on the rise, Florida Hospital and Wholesome Tummies, an all-natural, organic school lunch delivery service, are joining forces to make lunches healthier for children across Central Florida. Wholesome Tummies offers alternative options so local students can consume healthy meals rather than cafeteria or fast food, which aligns with Florida Hospital's initiatives on creating a healthier future for the community.
"We have seen how obesity is robbing our children and can lead to long-term health problems, and it is our goal to help children live longer, healthier lives," said Marla Silliman, administrator of Florida Hospital for Children. "Wholesome Tummies definitely aligns with our platform to prevent childhood obesity. Creating awareness about health and wellness is the first step, and that's why this partnership is important."
Florida Hospital nutritionist, Sherri Flynt, reviews all the Wholesome Tummies menus to ensure they will provide a good balance of food groups to growing children. This school year, students who order the lunches will even see a special "Florida Hospital Wants You Healthy" sticker adorning each of the Wholesome Tummies lunchboxes. The two organizations are continuing to collaborate to develop and implement other meaningful ways to promote healthy eating in schools.
Wholesome Tummies offers a variety of customizable lunch choices - all mouthwatering meals are perfectly portioned for a child's developmental state and packaged with kid appeal. Well-balanced, fun foods are prepared daily and delivered directly to 30 partner schools throughout Central Florida. Wholesome Tummies strives to use only the purest ingredients in their products, and each lunch includes a choice of one entrée, two sides and a napkin/utensils. Lunches can be ordered directly on the Wholesome Tummies Web site.
"With kids and a passion for healthy and organic eating, Debbie Blacher and I were inspired to launch Wholesome Tummies," said co-founder Samantha Gotlib. "We are discouraged by the lack of non-processed, convenient food options available for kids today, and believe that the foods our children eat should nourish their growing minds and bodies. We are thrilled to partner with Florida Hospital, as they can offer an expert perspective on the importance of maintaining a healthy diet, even at a young age."
For more information on Wholesome Tummies, visit www.wholesometummies.com
Florida Hospital, Orlando Magic and Wholesome Tummies Team Up to Put a Slam Dunk on Childhood Obesity
Posted February 01 2010ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 4, 2010 – Orlando Magic Community Ambassador Bo Outlaw and STUFF donned chef hats and aprons to compete in a one-of-a-kind cooking demonstration to kick-off the Be Healthy lunch program. Florida Hospital, Orlando Magic and Wholesome Tummies have joined forces to create a unique program that will provide free lunch to one deserving elementary school class in Central Florida. The Be Healthy lunch program was “cooked-up” to help kids eat healthier and learn about the importance of good nutrition.
“Obesity is a growing epidemic in our community,” said Tim Burrill, assistant administrator at Florida Hospital for Children. “Obesity can cause all kinds of medical complications and it is so important to educate our children about how to live healthy lives.”
The rising consumption of unhealthy foods has helped contribute to the increase in obesity. That’s why the three organizations teamed up to attack obesity together.
“Getting involved with the community is so important for us,” said Bo Outlaw, Orlando Magic community ambassador. “This is a great opportunity to teach kids at an early age that healthy foods can taste great and be nutritious. Part of living a healthy life is eating right and this is just one small step towards helping our community get healthier. Along with other programs, such as NBA FIT WEEK, hopefully we can encourage everyone in the local community to be active and live a healthy lifestyle.”
The free lunch will be delivered daily to one elementary school class starting at the end of the month until the end of the school year. The lunch will be prepared fresh everyday by Wholesome Tummies using only pure and wholesome ingredients. The lunches will be made with organic and all-natural ingredients, without trans-fats, high fructose corn syrup, nitrates and artificial colors and flavors.
“I think the kids will be really surprised at how much they enjoy more nutritious foods.” said Samantha Gotlib, co-founder of Wholesome Tummies. “We try to make healthy food as delicious as possible so we make things kids love; we just put a healthy twist on it. If we can change a child’s eating habits while they are young, it will set them up for a healthier lifestyle.”
Teachers can apply to win the free, healthy lunch for their class beginning on Jan. 4 at www.healthy100prs.dev.theexperiencenetwork.com, www.orlandomagic.com or www.wholesometummies.com. Applications are due by Jan. 19th. For more information on the program, please contact Florida Hospital Community Relations at FH.CR@flhosp.org. The Be Healthy lunch program is a pilot and is only being offered to private elementary schools in Orange and Seminole counties.
For media inquiries only, please contact Florida Hospital Media Relations at 407-303-8217.
