Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis headlines Bridgeport Hospital event

Nearly 140 people attended the Bridgeport Hospital Foundation 25th anniversary wrap-up event, “An Evening with Giada” featuring Food Network star and cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis.

Hosted and presented by Bob and Barbara Scinto and R.D. Scinto Inc., the Nov. 6 event in Shelton included a VIP reception at Il Palio Restaurant and a discussion moderated by Diane Sembrot, editor of Fairfield Living magazine, at the neighboring R.D. Scinto Auditorium.

“You eat a little bit of everything and not a lot of anything,” was Giada’s advice to the audience for enjoying food while staying trim, adding that limiting sugar, dairy and packaged foods is also a key to a healthy diet.

Giada even offered an approach to making healthier selections when eating in a restaurant, such as ordering appetizers only, eating half of the meal served and taking home the rest, and sharing dishes with others.

“Healthy eating – or more precisely, the absence of it – is a significant issue in our community, so Giada’s visit is timely and important,” said Bridgeport Hospital Foundation President Steve Jakab in introducing the guest speaker. “Through her shows and books she has become synonymous with healthy home cooking that tastes fabulous.”

Guests at the event received complimentary, signed copies of Giada’s latest book, Giada’s Feel Good Food: My Healthy Recipes and Secrets.

Since the Bridgeport Hospital Foundation was established in 1988, donors have given more than $120 million to help the hospital care for its patients and deliver a wide variety of health programs to the community. To reinvigorate its fundraising efforts in the face of increased financial pressures triggered by cutbacks in state and federal funding, the Foundation formed an independent board of trustees earlier this year. One focus of the new board is to inspire gifts that bring added value to the care provided by the hospital.