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Healthy cooking event targets single Airmen

  • Published
  • By Joy Schaubhut
  • 81st Aerospace Medicine Squadron Health Promotion Program Coordinator
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  The Health Promotion Department teamed up with Chaplain (Capt.) Rashaundra Singleton and Paula Spooner, Family Advocacy Outreach Manager, to provide a resiliency luncheon exclusively for single Airman Oct. 20 on Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.

The luncheon consisted of a healthy cooking demonstration, social & spiritual support as well as a seminar about healthy relationships.

The Health Promotion Department kicked off the event encouraging Airmen to learn healthy cooking techniques and teaching that fast and easy can be delicious and nutritious.

"We took a traditional food people really enjoy, in this case beef tacos, and made healthy alternatives to pack in lots of nutrition through a variety of non-starchy colorful vegetables, whole grains and lean protein," said Joy Schaubhut, 81st Aerospace Medicine Squadron health promotion program coordinator.

The team used ChooseMyPlate’s tips for building a healthy meal, and focused on a few in particular. Tips like making half your plate veggies & fruits, adding a lean protein, including whole grains, don’t forget the diary, avoid extra fat, and satisfy your sweet tooth in a healthy way. More of these tips can be found at ChooseMyPlate.gov.

The class made half of their plates veggies and fruit by loading up on a variety of vegetables such as cilantro, red onions and tomatoes. Then they satisfied their sweet tooth with purple grapes. They added lean protein by choosing the leanest ground beef and substituting sour cream for non-fat Greek yogurt for increased protein and decreased fat. They chose whole grain and corn tortillas instead of white flour or fried corn tortillas. They also increased the flavor and decreased the fat content by using pepper jack cheese instead of traditional cheddar.

The American Heart Association states having less sodium in your diet may help you lower or avoid high blood pressure. The average American eats about 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day while it is recommended to eat no more than 2,300 milligrams a day and an ideal limit is no more than 1,500 milligrams per day for most adults.

During the cooking demonstration, the specialists discussed the importance of reading food labels using a can of low sodium black beans vs. a can of regular black beans. The low sodium beans were about half the sodium. The class also used whole spices, such as cumin, rather than using a pre-made spice mix to control the amount of sodium added.

This meal was great for single Airmen who may not have access to an oven because this entire meal could be made in a microwave.

For more information about living a resilient lifestyle, call the Health Promotion Department at 376-3171 or Family Advocacy Outreach at 376-3459.
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