Eat Well! El Paso is a new City of El Paso Department of Public Health (DPH) program made possible through support from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation. The program has three complimentary and interrelated initiatives that try to advance how El Pasoans think and relate to the food we provide our youngest citizens. The initiatives are:

• The Restaurant Initiative is a voluntary restaurant recognition program for locally owned full service restaurants, which successfully increases healthy food choices for children by improving entrée and side offerings, using healthier cooking methods, and offering healthier beverage options. Owners receive assistance from nutrition professionals, at no cost, to create a new children’s menu with more healthful food selections for families and their children when dining out.

• The Online Nutrition Course is a free resource for parents, daycare providers, and any adult interested in information on adequate portion size, how to read labels, and the difference between whole foods and processed foods. Daycare workers can receive continuing education credit upon completion of the program.

• The Food Day Celebration is an annual, community-wide celebration of fresh, healthy, accessible foods.

The main purpose of the Eat Well! El Paso program is to improve the local food environment by expanding healthy food options for children and their families, as well as to increase awareness and knowledge of the positive effects that healthy food choices can have on our health and our community.

Many locally-owned restaurants in El Paso have worked with the Eat Well! El Paso program to improve the healthy meal choices on their menus, helping to create a healthier food environment for the community.

As of early 2014, there were 25 locally-owned restaurants participating the Eat Well! El Paso restaurant initiative. Participating restaurants choose from three levels of participation that best suits the restaurant. The restaurant owner or authorized representative meets with a registered dietician to review the current menu and select new healthy options before launching and promoting their new menu.