Good nutrition starts with healthy cooking
Healthy eating was on the menu during an informative workshop led by representatives from Wegmans.
The second annual event was held at the West-Mont Christian Academy in North Coventry and featured Wegmans’ employees Eric Myers and Nicole Marino.
The goal of the evening was to teach attendees about healthy eating, cooking and grocery shopping.
Myers and Marino offered tips and some tricks to healthy eating.
“It is about making good choices,” said Myers. “Strive for five cups a day of fruits and vegetables. Eating a rainbow is important. A wide variety of colors/flavors gives you a wide range of nutrients.”
One of the recipes they made during the cooking demonstration was butternut squash soup.
“Soups are an easy way to eat healthy with a lot of flavor,” Myers said. “Try to have a healthy plate, half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables.”
One of their tips for healthy grocery shopping was to have a plan, and buy pre-proportioned items to keep you from over-eating. Shop the perimeter of the store, where most of the fresh and seasonal items are, such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. Avoid the middle of the store, where most of the processed foods are located.
“If you can’t afford to buy all organic, use the dirty dozen list,” said Marino. The list includes the fruits and vegetables that are most likely to have higher amounts of chemicals on them. There are 12 fruits and vegetables listed, which are better eaten as organic.
“Buy what is in season, it is more price effective,” said Myers. “Frozen fruits and vegetables are always a good option too, it is all about balance and making choices.”
Myers also discussed tips such as using vinegar and water to wash vegetables, and lemon juice and water to wash fruits.
He noted that zucchini noodles are a healthy substitute for pasta. The noodles can be sautéed in a pan or eaten raw.
Cauliflower is a popular vegetable right now, and one way to eat it is to put it in a food processor and then make it like rice.
“There are many different ways to get vegetables into your diet,” Myers said. “There is no one trick to eating healthy. It’s about planning and balance. Plan ahead so that you can make good decisions when time is short, and balance out healthy eating with food you enjoy and the occasional cheat day.”
Over the past four years, West-Mont Christian Academy has been trying to create a healthier environment for its students.
“This has resulted in numerous wellness improvements around campus including more fresh food in our lunch program, new water bottle filling stations, the addition of club sports, and also a wellness club to name a few,” said Leanne Boyer, West-Mont Christian Academy graphic designer and media specialist.
Anyone interested can view all of of the school’s health and wellness programs at https://www. west-mont.org/health-wellness.
The workshop was also a part of the school’s community outreach to provide free and helpful workshops to the public.
More upcoming community wellness events can be found at https://www.westmont.org/community.