BATON ROUGE mdash; Ochsner Health has brought its Eat Fit program inside its hospitals and medical facilities after success at restaurants across Louisiana.The orange Eat Fit seal already appears at restaurants like Mestizo Mexican, Lit Pizza and Tsunami, marking healthier menu options for customer s. Now, patients and visitors at Ochsner facilities can find the same seal on food sold in cafeterias and vending machines."A lot of patients who would come in would be able to cook and prepare foods at home, but when they went out to eat all their diet plans and health decisions completely went out the window," said Allie Foreman, an Ochsner Eat Fit nutrition specialist.Ochsner decided to expand the program after seeing results in the community. Foreman said hundreds of thousands of patients visit Ochsner facilities every day and the program makes healthy food easy to access.Items marked with the Eat Fit seal are offered at up to half off the regular price. Foreman said meals like chicken teriyaki with a side of green beans typically cost less than $4.Ochsner is among the only large health systems in the country with a systemwide nutrition initiative like this. The seal appears on food in cafes and vending machines throughout its facilities."Having that as an affordable option while it's also healthier is basically a win-win," Foreman said. "You're saving money while also creating that access to people who may not otherwise have it, to the healthier foods."Eat Fit cafeteria sales increased by 75% systemwide within the first six months. Purchases of Eat Fit beverages also led to a reduction of 3,000 pounds of added sugars in drinks across the system in just one quarter.That reduction equals about 35,000 cans of soda. Foreman said the number shows the program is working to help people make healthier choices.Ochsner is partnering with researchers at Tulane University and Xavier University of Louisiana to study the program over the next three years. The research will evaluate how factors like pricing, visibility and availability influence food choices and could serve as a model for other health systems.Permalink| Comments ...read more read less