STEAMBOAT SPRINGS - For the last three years, dieticians at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center have offered cooking demonstrations to educate the community on healthy meal options and how to prepare them. Nutrition is at the forefront of the Healthy Harvest Cooking demos, provided free of charge by the staff at the medical center.

“People were wanting to get back in the kitchen; a barrier was skills. If we teach preparation skills, we can make that a reality, motivating them to get back in there,” says Pam Wooster, registered dietitian, nutritionist and certified diabetes educator at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center. “The demonstration approach is changing to active participation, food tastings and interaction with highly knowledgeable chefs who will speak on food prep, nutrition and why you want to eat the foods selected for the demo.”

On Oct. 25, UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center hosted the 11th Healthy Harvest cooking demonstration. The menu featured roasted butternut squash and apple soup, farro salad with cherub tomatoes, pistachios and pomegranate seeds, ratatouille and roasted chicken with sage pan sauce. “I came to learn how to eat healthier," says Tammy Innes, one of 55 registered attendees. “I’m already a vegetarian, so the recipes are great.”

These presentations are designed to help people manage diabetes, heart conditions or  high blood pressure, or just provide people with healthier recipe options. These interactive cooking demonstrations take place twice a year and will give you the knowledge and skills to prepare a selection of harvest recipes at home. The next food-based program is Real Food: Blue Zones and the Holidays, held Wednesday, Nov. 15.

 For more information visit https://www.uchealth.org/locations/uchealth-yampa-valley-medical-center