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Make small changes to stay healthy all year long

Picture of SBH Healthplex Fitness Center Participant

Lee Williams didn’t like what she was hearing from her doctor.
“My blood pressure was borderline high, and I didn’t like the weight I’d put on,” she says.
So Williams turned to the SBH Teaching Kitchen to learn how to eat healthier.

Take baby steps to health

The Teaching Kitchen’s mission is to help people in the community learn how to prepare meals that are easy, delicious, affordable and nutritious.

“I tell people to take baby steps,” says SBH Teaching Kitchen Director and registered dietitian Abbie Gellman. “And to think about what you can add before you start to subtract.”

That means, for example, including an extra vegetable in your diet three times a week. Not swearing off french fries forever.

“If you try to do pretty well 75% or 80% of the time and look at an entire week instead of one day or one meal, you’re on the right path with your overall lifestyle,” Gellman says. “Being patient with progress is important.”

Reap rewards from small changes

Community classes at the SBH Teaching Kitchen are open to everyone. They’re offered several days a week and only cost $5 per person.
“We’re giving people the tools they need to feel empowered to make changes,” Gellman says.

For Gellman and her team, that means teaching people to:

  • Eat canned or frozen fruits and vegetables, which can be just as nutritious as fresh
  • Use new flavors and cooking styles
  • Make healthier meals without spending a lot of money

A goal for a healthier life

Williams says she loves the flavors and colors she’s begun adding to her cooking. She’s also loved learning to cook with only one pot or pan to cut down on cleanup.

“I’m learning how to try new things and to cook with different vegetables and fruits,” she says. “It’s definitely benefited my health.”

Learn more and take one of our cooking classes.