Private NYC Hospitals Take Healthy Food Pledge

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's health campaign, which recently enacted a ban on super sized sodas in commercial foodservice establishments, will also soon banish sugary and fatty foods from both public and private hospitals in the city, reports ABC News. The city's 15 public hospitals have already cut calories in patient meals and restricted the sale of sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks at vending machines, but now the city's Healthy Hospital Food Initiative is expanding its reach to private hospitals, with 16 signing on so far.

The pledge obligates them to eliminate deep fryers, make leafy green salads a mandatory option and allow only healthy snacks to be stocked near the cafeteria entrance and at cash registers. Also, at least half of all sandwiches and salads must be made or served with whole grains and half-size sandwich portions must be available.