HAMMOND — North Oaks Health is launching a new initiative offering nutritionally balanced, chef-prepared meals for $3 in the cafeterias at North Oaks Medical Center and North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital.

The program, "nourished by North Oaks Health," is available to everyone, offering a menu of nine rotating, budget-friendly meals. Breakfast and lunch will be offered on weekdays and lunch on the weekends. 

Initial items being offered through the program include an everything bagel breakfast wrap, berry nut yogurt bowl, chicken Parmesan with vegetables and pasta, chimichurri beef and brown rice bowl, shrimp and peanut chili crisp noodle bowl, shawarma chicken bowl, grilled Thai beef salad, fresh fruit Cobb salad, and a spring greens and grain bowl. 

Menus will rotate quarterly, with every meal including at least 10 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and no trans-fat.

“At North Oaks, we know good health starts with everyday choices, and healthy food should be within everyone’s reach,” says Michele K. Sutton, FACHE, president and CEO of North Oaks Health, in a prepared statement. “That is why we are subsidizing the cost of every nourished by North Oaks Health meal to make nutritious food more affordable. We are investing in the health of our workforce, patients, visitors to our hospitals and the communities we serve.”

Each meal’s packaging includes a QR code linking to nutrition information and healthy living tips curated by registered dietitians, giving consumers practical resources to support healthier choices beyond the meal itself.

Nourished by North Oaks Health meals can be bought in the cafeterias for $3 at North Oaks Medical Center, located at 15790 Paul Vega MD Drive, Hammond, and North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital, located at 1900 S. Morrison Blvd. in Hammond.

To learn more about nourished by North Oaks Health, visit northoaks.org/nourished.