Pancake House Group offers low-salt dishes

MANILA, Philippines - The Pancake House Group of restaurants is now offering low-salt dishes to support the anti-hypertension campaign of Novartis Healthcare Philippines, the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH), Philippine Heart Association (PHA), Philippine Society of Nephro­logy (PSN), and the Department of Health (DOH).

“Pancake House recognizes the need to make healthier meals available to Filipinos. This is why our restaurant brands now offer healthy, low-salt meal options. We believe that everyday dining can be made healthy and delectable even with minimal use of salt,” said Martin Lorenzo, chairman of the board, president and CEO of the Pancake House Group.

Lorenzo presented their company’s initial offering of low-salt dishes during a recent press conference. These include Maple Chicken on Fruity Salad and the Cornmeal Crusted Fish at the Pancake House; Kaitai Maguro Rolls, Do-It-Yourself maguro roll, and Sesame Crusted Maguro at Teriyaki Boy; Fish Inasal and Tinolang Pompano at Dencio’s; Sizzlin’ Tuna with Soya Cream and Salmon Steak with Soya Cream at Sizzlin’ Pepper Steak; Pan Seared Fish in Tomato Wine Sauce and Grilled Rosemary Garlic Chicken Sandwich at Le Coeur de France; and Krispy Lumpiang Tuna at Gulay and Kilawing Salmon at the Kabi­sera ng Dencio’s.

The PSH and Novartis Philippines, in collaboration with the PHA, PSN and DOH led the country’s celebration of the 2009 World Hypertension Day, which had the theme “Salt and High Blood Pressure: Two Silent Killers.” The Pancake House Group is supporting the WHD coalition’s low-salt diet advocacy by offering low-salt dishes in its restaurants.

“Reducing salt intake is one way of preventing or controlling high blood pressure. We laud the Pancake House Group for doing its share in promoting a healthy, low-salt diet among Filipinos,” said PSH president Dr. Abdias Aquino.

“Reducing salt intake by half could save the lives of approximately 2.5 million people who would die unnecessarily due to strokes, heart attacks and chronic kidney diseases worldwide. We hope that other food establishments will follow the lead of the Pancake House Group,” said PHA president Dr. Eleanor Lopez.

“Over 10 million Filipinos have high blood pressure. Let us all start making healthier food choices by opting for low-fat and low-salt dishes,” said PSN president Dr. Benjamin Balmores, Jr.

“We thank the Pancake House Group for their tremendous support for the WHD campaign. By offering delectable low-salt dishes in their restaurants, Pancake House will help curb the rising incidence of high blood pressure in the country,” said Christine Liwanag, corporate affairs and market access director of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

Aquino, Lopez, Balmores and DOH representative Prescy Cuevas, together with and Novartis senior manager for hypertension brands Bernard Arcangel, personally sampled the low-salt dishes of the Pancake House Group during the press conference.