Jim and Betty Fox, weight loss

Cooking Up Something Healthy

It’s not uncommon to encounter wonderful aromas floating through the halls of the University of Tennessee Medical Center’s Heart Lung Vascular Institute. Those smells signal that the members of a Healthy Living Kitchen cooking class are busy learning techniques for making heart-healthy yet flavorful food.

The Healthy Living Kitchen regularly offers cooking classes focused on such topics as healthful grilling, Mediterranean flavors, and holiday entertaining. The medical center’s Volunteer Auxiliary made the Healthy Living Kitchen possible by donating the funds needed to buy equipment and supplies for a demonstration kitchen.

Executive chef Mark McKinney; cardiac nurse specialist Jane Kelly, BSN, RN; and dietitian Janet Seiber, RD, LDN, CDE, create classes that highlight new ideas and culinary techniques. Participants watch cooking demonstrations, enjoy meals and samples, and learn about lowering cholesterol, and preparing food safely.

Jim and Betty Fox enjoy the classes so much that they’ve been to almost every one. The first class they attended got them thinking about what they ate every day and how those meals could be better for them. Jim says they didn’t know whether they had the willpower to make healthy changes, but the more they learned in the classes, the easier it was to get excited about cooking and eating healthfully. They’ve been thrilled with what they’ve learned so far. “We’ve brought something back from every class, and we’ve been able to incorporate what we learned when we cook at home,” says Jim.

That’s a primary objective of the classes. The Healthy Living Kitchen team uses ingredients available at any grocery store, including or substituting them to make common recipes more healthful yet still tasty and relatively easy to prepare. Participants in the classes are provided with recipes so they can make all the featured meals at home. Jim says the best thing he’s learned from the classes is portion control. “Eating the right amount to be satisfied and not having to feel full is a new concept to me,” he says. “I’ve really learned to enjoy the flavor of foods that are prepared in a healthy manner.”

The cooking classes usually follow a theme—such as tailgating, Jim’s favorite. Using tents and table decorations, they’re designed to be fun as well as educational. “We try to keep the theme relevant to the season or time of year,” says Janet Seiber. “For example, we recently held a class with a Valentine’s Day theme and taught the benefits of dark chocolate and how to have it in moderation.”

Moderation is the key. “We aren’t on a diet,” Jim says. “We made a lifestyle change by eating proper portions of healthy foods and walking six days a week.” In combination, the Foxes have lost almost 100 pounds, but their passion for food hasn’t diminished; it has just become healthier. That’s what the Healthy Living Kitchen hopes for—that every participant in its classes will develop a passion for healthy cooking.


**This article first ran in Frontiers magazine, Spring 2009.