Healthy Basics

This four-class series presents health-promoting dietary strategies that are both budget-friendly and accessible. Nutrition education components help individuals to connect diet and disease outcomes while learning about easy-to-prepare plant-based recipes. Each class features a cooking demonstration with samples of delicious and health-promoting dishes, along with handouts of easy and affordable recipes participants can prepare at home.  Class 1 Nov. 22, 2026: The Power of Your Plate will focus on general concepts behind healthful eating habits using the essential food groups: vegetables, grains, legumes, and fruits. Class 2 Nov. 29, 2026: How Foods Fight Diabetes. The road to diabetes does not have to be a one-way street. There is reason for hope! People who eat plant-based meals are less likely to ever develop diabetes, and for those who have diabetes, plant-based meals can help to improve blood sugar levels and prevent complications. Class 3 Dec. 6, 2026: Foods for a Healthy Weight will discuss eating plant-based not being a “diet” that leads to feeling hungry or deprived. When you change the quality of your diet, you don’t need to think about counting calories or measuring portions. Class 4 Dec. 20, 2026: How Foods Fight Heart Disease. Certain diet patterns seem to have a major effect in helping people avoid heart disease, or if they already have heart disease, in reversing it. This class will show you how based on evidence.