Emma Balmaine, Irish Heart Foundation CEO, Anne Starr McDonagh and Jane Murray, Nenagh Hospital, and Sarah O’Brien, HSE Programme Manager, Healthy Eating Active Living

The catering team at Nenagh Hospital is celebrating after its commitment to creating healthy menus for staff and visitors won top honours at a national ceremony.

In total, 21 healthcare facilities across Ireland, providing healthier meals for almost 18,000 health service employees, were honoured this year at the Happy Heart Healthy Eating Awards for their commitment to healthy food choices.

Fifteen units across the country, including the Tipperary facility, achieved gold awards for creating a healthier food environment.

The Happy Heart Healthy Eating Awards have been running for over 25 years, and are a joint initiative of the Irish Heart Foundation and the HSE. The criteria for the awards include limiting the availability of foods and drinks high in saturated fat, salt and sugar, monitoring portion sizes and promoting the availability of high-fibre foods, healthier counter display and vending machine contents.

Studies show that a healthy and balanced diet and an active lifestyle help reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.