Protein. Keto. Intermittent fasting. Gut health. Food as medicine. My dad and I both tend to shrink away from buzzwords and trends. Of course, though, many of these terms and ideas come from real research and truths. It’s when they spin out of control and everyone hops on the bandwagon that we eyeroll.
Food as medicine is one of those terms that’s been taken out of context and used for just about everything possible. But since we Bittmans are such proponents of home cooking and the nourishment that good food can provide, we do believe in the roots of food as a healing power. When you see a big plate of homemade food, how can you not?
This week’s guests are Sven Gierlinger and Terrence Meck. Neither uses the term “food as medicine” verbatim, but both of them are doing important work to nourish people—the people who need it most. Sven is Northwell Health’s chief experience officer, and in 2017, under his leadership, Northwell—which has 28 hospitals—embarked on an impactful culinary journey, reimagining the way food is sourced, prepared, and served to both patients and staff. The initiative prioritizes fresh, locally sourced, ingredients, and has, as you may imagine, been very well-received.
And Terrence Meck is in his second year as the CEO of God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit that provides medically tailored meals at no cost to 15,000 New Yorkers each year. God’s Love is very special to Mark and me and we try to support them whenever we can (also, Mark is on the organization’s culinary council). Before his tenure as CEO, Terrence served on the God’s Love Board of Directors for 14 years, and as Board Chair for four of those years.
Terrence and Sven hadn’t met before this interview, but their teams have worked together, as you’ll hear about, and it was wonderful, and inspiring, to get to know them both.
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