Earlier this year, Cary Medical Center received a grant from the Walmart Foundation to offer a program that teaches middle school children and their families how to cook healthy foods on a budget. The program recently completed its first pilot in Caribou and Presque Isle, and will be offering the program in Washburn and Van Buren beginning Saturday, Oct. 25.
The program is free of charge and is limited to six families per community. During the eight-week series of classes, children will learn the very basics of food preparation, from cutting up vegetables to preparing recipes, seasoning foods, and clean up. The goal of the program is to help children and families understand that it is possible to eat a healthy diet on a budget. Anna Blackstone, who is coordinating the project, said the first series in Caribou and Presque Isle went well and children were excited by what they learned.
“These kids really loved the program,” said Blackstone, who has developed the curriculum for the cooking classes. “They were very willing to try new foods and for many of them it generated an interest in cooking. They also enjoyed taking home what they cooked to share with their family.”
Each class ends with the culmination of a complete meal for a family of four that can be taken home and eaten over the weekend. The program provides containers for the families to bring home and return at the next class. Beginning with the new series of classes in Washburn and Van Buren, the program will collect data to assess how well the children have learned and how they are incorporating what they have learned into their meal planning.
“We really like it if a parent or guardian attends the classes with the children because it makes for great follow through at home,” said Jan Jackson, who will be teaching the program. “We want to learn how much of an impact our program is having and make sure that when the program is complete that children are actually eating healthier and incorporating what they have learned into their lifestyle.”
The program follows a Mediterranean style diet focusing on whole foods, fruits and vegetables. The program has been working with the area’s Faith community and conducting the classes in churches that have full kitchen facilities.
“The church community has been very helpful,” said Blackstone. “Wherever we can find a facility that can accommodate our program we will generally use it. We hope to sustain the program through volunteers once our grant funds have been exhausted.”
Families of middle school-aged children in Washburn and Van Buren who are interested in registering for the program are asked to call the Cary Community Relations Office at 498-1112.
