Golden Carrot Award

The end of an old year and the beginning of a new one signal the time to make some changes in our lives, especially in our eating habits. The Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency and the Go for Health! Collaborative are taking this opportunity to bring back the “Golden Carrot Award” (GCA) in 2016. This is a list of restaurants that “feature healthy menu options to help members of the community make healthful decisions about where they choose to eat away from the home.”
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. and in our local community. “According to a survey done in 2014 by the Community Assessment Project, 61 percent of Santa Cruz County adults are either overweight or obese, along with one out of three children ages 12-17.” Most of us are aware that this can lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and even early death.
Because many of us eat out a lot, we may not have a good idea of the nutritional value and the caloric content of the food we consume when we eat away from home. Therefore, Santa Cruz County Department of Public Health is partnering with local food producers to increase healthier selections on our local restaurant menus.
Fortunately for us, we can eat healthy in a variety of restaurants in our diverse community. To name just a few of the previous Golden Carrot Award winners, Mama’s Cafe and Jia Tella’s Cambodian Cuisine in Scotts Valley; Second Street Cafe and California Grill in Watsonville; The Picnic Basket and Charlie Hong Kong in Santa Cruz; and Fresh Choice and Dharma’s in Capitola.
You can go to (www.facebook.com/GoldenCarrotAward) the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency’s Facebook page which has nomination forms that restaurant owners can submit to be considered for the Golden Carrot Award. The public can also submit their selections.
The nominations will be reviewed by a health and nutrition experts’ panel. Winners will be awarded a Golden Carrot Award certificate to display in their restaurant. The nominee with the “highest overall score will be named the Ultimate GCA and will host a community event at their restaurant complete with menu tastings.”
Questions? Corrine Hyland, MPH, 454-7558; [email protected]
The deadline for the nominations is December 11, 2015.
Do you have a favorite healthy restaurant you’d like to nominate?