Valley, GSP Hosting Yearlong Bergen County 'Health Makeover'

The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood and Garden State Plaza in Paramus are joining forces for a new initiative that organizers say they hope will promote healthy living throughout Bergen County, the two announced in a release Tuesday morning.

The yearlong partnership starts Tuesday with the kick-off of a healthy recipe competition, the “Recipe Makeover & A New Look for the Cook.”

The contest, run in conjunction with the Sur La Table location in the mall, asks locals to submit their favorite recipes online for the chance to win a “nutritional makeover.”

Two winners will receive a personal makeover and new clothes, and will have their favorite recipes get a healthy makeover. Celebrity chef Michael V. Proietti, who appeared on Season 5 of Food Network Star, will makeover the meal in front of a live audience in the mall on May 17, the release said.

The initiative will also include another event in October, and health-related messages displayed on the Garden State Plaza's signage and LED screen throughout the year, the release said.

“We are delighted to partner with Westfield Garden State Plaza on this important community health initiative,” Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System, said in the release. 

“The mall is a gathering place for so many in our community that it seems like the perfect place to offer innovative health-related educational events and programs.”

Locals can enter the Recipe Makeover competition at valleyrecipemakeover.com.