NIH Record - National Institutes of Health

Heart-Healthy Fish Tacos Come to NIH Cafes, Courtesy of NHLBI

Two soft tacos filled with fish and onions sit on a bed of lettuce.
NIH cafeterias will serve gourmet salmon tacos starting the week of Sept. 25-29 and then every sixth week thereafter.

Photo:  Credit Savina Sparker/Eurest

Get your taste buds ready: NIH cafeterias will serve gourmet salmon tacos starting the week of Sept. 25-29 and then every sixth week thereafter. And if this doesn’t get your fins flapping, here’s something that might: The taco recipe comes from an online heart-healthy cookbook available from NHLBI.  

Called the Baja-style salmon taco, the trendy treat will be served at grilling stations in the cafeterias of Bldgs. 10 (second floor), 35 and 31. The taco is spiced with jalapeno, chili powder and red onion and prepared with corn tortillas and fresh salmon, making it high in flavor and protein and low in saturated fat.  

“We’re always pushing the envelope to try new things and bring delicious and nutritious items to the cafeteria,” said Savina Sparker, wellness manager and a registered dietitian with Eurest, the company that runs several NIH cafeterias. “We’re thrilled to work with NHLBI and to continue a collaboration that we’ve had in previous events, like Wear Red Day and American Heart Month.”

This is not the first time the cafeterias have used a recipe from NHLBI’s heart-healthy cookbook. Since February, salad bars have included a quinoa and black bean salad that has been popular among customers. 

In addition to the fish tacos and quinoa salad, the cookbook includes more than 100 recipes designed to help keep heart disease at bay. To see the recipes, visit https://healthyeating.nhlbi.nih.gov/.

The NIH Record

The NIH Record, founded in 1949, is the biweekly newsletter for employees of the National Institutes of Health.

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