In keeping with the Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens’ goal of promoting healthy lifestyles to our neighbors, a group of Queens Community Center visitors participated in a walk to the local Greenmarket in Astoria on Sept. 18. Each of the participants were given “Health Bucks” to spend at the market from the NYC Department of Health. The local farmers offered the Queens Community Center visitors suggestions on how to cook using the fresh produce, while offering tasty samples. Cooking tips were also provided on how to dry and preserve fresh herbs. Healthy eating can prevent illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and low in fat, calories and sodium.
Greenmarket, a program of GrowNYC, is a marketplace where local farmers, fishermen and bakers sell what they grow, raise, catch and bake themselves without the assistance of a middleman or broker. The NYC farmer’s markets also accept food stamps (Electronic Benefit Cards/EBT), and one $2 “Health Buck” coupon will be given to each customer for every $5 spent using their food stamps.
For more information on living a healthy lifestyle, please visit one of our community centers in Brooklyn or Queens. Visit www.ccbq.org for more information.
Queens Community Center Promote Healthy Eating, Visits Astoria Greenmarket
