Summer festival season is upon us here in Western New York, and the Independent Health Foundation is again proud to be a sponsor of the Taste of Buffalo, the nation's largest two day food festival.   The Taste of Buffalo will be held on July 9^th and 10^th and features over 50 unique restaurants offering all different kinds of foods, including signature dishes, appetizers and a healthy option. This year, Independent Health will be sponsoring "Fresh and Healthy Classic Cooking," a live cooking segment on Sunday, July 10^th from 4:00pm - 5:00pm on the Culinary Stage. 

In 2007, the Independent Health Foundation began working with the Taste of Buffalo to require each participating restaurant to offer a healthy option item at the event. In doing so, the Taste of Buffalo became the first food festival in the country to guarantee a healthy options choice.  

The Healthy Options program started in 2004.  The Independent Health Foundation works with area restaurants to offer heart-healthy food options for their customers, items that are items are lower in fat, cholesterol and sodium.  Close to 70 local restaurants participate in the Healthy Options program.   By visiting healthyoptionsbuffalo.com, you are able to click on your favorite participating restaurant and see which healthy options are on the menu.