La Huasteca Mexican Restaurant honored as the first Choose Health LA Restaurant in Lynwood in collaboration with St. Francis

St. Francis Medical Center, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH), and the City of Lynwood recognized La Huasteca Mexican Restaurant for its participation in Choose Health LA Restaurants and its contribution to the community. On October 22, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the restaurant to celebrate the enrollment of La Huasteca as the first Choose Health LA Restaurant in Lynwood, in collaboration with St. Francis Medical Center.

Paul Simon, MD, LACDPH Director of the Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention; Jose Luis Solache, Mayor of Lynwood; Lynwood City Councilmembers Aide Castro and Edwin Hernandez; and Mary Eileen Drees, CEO, St. Francis Medical Center Foundation, were among the city, county, and hospital leaders on hand to honor the dining establishment and to congratulate Juan Carlos Flores, General Manager of La Huasteca, for taking this positive step forward.

“I want to thank Juan Carlos for bringing La Huasteca on board and for his commitment to health,” stated Dr. Simon. “Forty percent of children are obese or overweight, and fifty percent of adults,” he stressed. “Today families consume nearly one-third of their daily calories eating away from home, which means we have to get out into the community and make it a healthier environment.”

In response, Flores expressed his enthusiasm about his restaurant’s participation. “When St. Francis Medical Center came to us about this program, we wanted to jump on. It’s about our kids, our community, awareness and health.”

St. Francis Medical Center approached La Huasteca as a community partner with LA County’s Choose Health LA Kids (CHLAK). As an advocate for healthy lifestyle changes, St. Francis Medical Center advances good nutrition and the prevention of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease through a variety of community wellness programs. In collaboration with CHLAK, St. Francis continues to work with eating establishments throughout South Los Angeles to help them modify their menus to make it easier for customers and families to select healthier options.

St. Francis Medical Center Foundation CEO Mary Eileen Drees stated, “The Choose Health LA Kids grant we received enables us to go out to grocery stores, parent groups, and community organizations and establish wellness programs and form partnerships with restaurants like La Huasteca.” She continued, “We need to start the conversation and the education so we can beat devastating diseases and health conditions like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.”

La Huasteca is now part of a growing group of restaurants in LA County partnering with LA County Department of Public Health’s Choose Health LA Restaurants to make it easier for communities and families to stay healthy when dining out.

Participating restaurants offer customers menu options in multiple sizes so that they may enjoy smaller amounts of the foods they love. Restaurants serving kids’ meals have replaced sugary beverages with milk or water, added fruits or vegetables, and reduced the number of deep-fried foods on the menu. All of the participating restaurants have also committed to making water available free of charge to all customers to encourage their community to choose water over sugary drinks.

Lynwood Mayor Jose Luis Solache praised the collaboration between LA County, St. Francis Medical Center, La Huasteca, and the City of Lynwood. He stated that living healthy lifestyles is about having choices. Emphasizing the City’s commitment to making healthy food options available, he challenged other Lynwood restaurants to become Choose Health LA Restaurants as well.

Drees hopes La Huasteca is the first of many Lynwood eateries to make this commitment and encourages residents’ involvement. “Show your support for local businesses like La Huasteca that care about the community. They are the change leaders for good health!”

For a list of participating Choose Health LA Restaurants in LA County, visit www.choosehealthla.com

ST. FRANCIS MEDICAL CENTER
St. Francis Medical Center (SFMC) is the only comprehensive, non-profit health care institution serving Southeast Los Angeles. A member of the Daughters of Charity Health System, SFMC is dedicated to serving those who are sick and living in poverty, and to providing essential health care services for the 700,000 adults and 300,000 children who count on SFMC for high quality and compassionate medical care. SFMC is recognized for its full range of diagnostic and treatment services in specialties including Cardiovascular, Surgical, Maternal-Child Health, and Trauma, in addition to its network of community clinics, essential role in LA County’s Public/Private Health Care Safety Net, and many vital outreach programs. SFMC is an Approved Primary Stroke Center and STEMI Receiving Center for Los Angeles County.

CHOOSE HEALTH LA KIDS
Choose Health LA Kids is a program working with community partners aimed at reducing obesity and chronic diseases. The program provides community-based public education, skills-building and environmental changes that promote healthy eating and physical activity to children 0 – 5 years of age and their families.