Next month, New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service will present a series of cooking classes designed to teach adults with diabetes how to cook healthy meals.
The four-class series, Kitchen Creations, will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25. at Mayfield High School, 1955 N. Valley Drive, in Las Cruces. The classes are sponsored by the New Mexico Department of Health.
Over four consecutive weeks, participants will learn food safety, how to plan meals, how to read food labels and how to manage carbohydrates. They also will prepare and sample healthy meals.
Beatriz Favela, a Family and Consumer Sciences Extension agent at the Doña Ana County Extension Office, and Janae Kraus, a registered dietitian nutritionist, will teach the classes.
“This is a great, free program. I hope individuals suffering from diabetes and live in the area can take part in these classes and can benefit from the valuable information shared,” Favela said.
According to the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 11.4 percent of adults in New Mexico had diabetes. Research has shown that lifestyle changes, including healthier eating, can help manage diabetes and reduce the risk of complications.
Kitchen Creations served more than 1,000 New Mexico residents over the past two years.
The class series is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To enroll in the upcoming class series in Las Cruces, contact Sofia Hernandez at 575-635-1230 or Favela at 575-525-6649. NMSU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. If you are an individual with a disability who needs an auxiliary aid or service to participate, contact Favela by Jan. 28.
For a complete schedule of classes in other counties, visit https://bit.ly/3a97CJJ.
Kitchen Creations is sponsored by the New Mexico Department of Health’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program and offered by NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service as part of the “Paths to Health NM: Tools for Healthier Living initiative.” To learn more, visit www.pathstohealthnm.org.
Information from NMSU