Paramus Cooks up Recipes to Good Health, Wellness

When it comes to good health and wellness the Paramus community has the recipe for success having recently been crowned a New Jersey Healthy Town and shedding 500 pounds in a community weight-loss challenge.

Now Paramus is launching another community-wide effort designed to promote healthy living - collecting healthy recipes for a Paramus Community Cookbook which will be made available online. 

The effort is part of the Mayor's Wellness Campaign along withValley Hospital and the Paramus Board of Health which continue to develop and implement active-living initiatives in order to improve health and reduce the skyrocketing costs of healthcare that can come with obesity.

The recent 12-week Paramus weight loss challenge  resulted in the 500 pound combined loss, with some participants shedding up to 40 and 50 pounds. Now the campaign is calling out to the weight-loss challenge participants and anyone in the community including businesses and organizations to submit healthy recipes for this community-wide cookbook.

The cookbook will catalog recipes which would cater to all age groups coinciding with the Mayors Wellness Campaign core demographics which include seniors, youth, workplace and general community, according to Jasalyn DeRyke, health educator at Valley Hospital. 

Recipes that would entice those who may struggle to prepare a healthy quick breakfast or lunch or work, school lunch, snacks or dinner for themselves or their families are encouraged. 

"Creative, ethnic, family favorite recipes are all encouraged, especially those filled with fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein," said DeRyke. 

A Valley Hospital registered dietician will review all submissions for health quality. The dietician can also make recommendations and substitutions if one is not certain of the nutritional value of the recipe submitted, said DeRyke. 

Submissions can be credited or anonymous. Those who submit will receive a free insulated grocery shopping bag (one per submission, limit 3 per person) which can be picked up at the Paramus Board of Health.

Recipe submissions will be accepted until Thursday, Oct. 31. They can be emailed to jderyke@valleyhealth.com or mailed to Jasayln DeRyke, Health Educator, Dept of Community Health, The Valley Hospital, 223 North Van Dien Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450. 

"We hope that this cookbook will encourage residents to eat healthy and provide a resource to others, even future Paramus Weight Loss Challengers.  New healthy recipes and creative ideas can inspire change in your kitchen and your lifestyle," said DeRyke.