New Mexico State University’s Doña Ana County Cooperative Extension Office will present a series of online cooking classes open to all New Mexicans to teach adults with diabetes how to cook healthy meals.The Kitchen Creations series consists of four weekly classes that aim to teach participants about food safety, meal-planning, reading food labels and managing carbohydrates. The first class in the series will take place virtually from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 2 on Zoom. Subsequent classes will take place Feb. 9, Feb. 16 and Feb. 23. Beatriz Favela, a family and consumer sciences extension agent in Doña Ana County, and Janae Kraus, a registered dietitian nutritionist, will present each class. Participants will be able to access the classes with an electronic device or by phone. “Even though we are not able to offer the classes in person due to the current situation, we still want people to benefit from the valuable information that Kitchen Creations offers to individuals suffering from diabetes,” said Cassandra Vanderpool, registered dietitian nutritionist at NMSU. Research has shown that lifestyle changes such as healthier eating can help people manage diabetes and reduce the risk of complications, Vanderpool said. “Many people with diabetes struggle with what to eat,” Vanderpool said. “Kitchen Creations opens their eyes to a wide variety of options to enjoy healthy eating. Plus, participants cook and do other activities in the classes to help them succeed in managing diabetes at home.” More than 1,000 New Mexico residents participated in Kitchen Creations over the past two years, Vanderpool said. Kitchen Creations is free to all New Mexico residents, but registration is required. To enroll, visit https://diabetes.nmsu.edu or contact Favela at 575-202-2376. For a complete schedule of classes in other New Mexico counties, visit https://bit.ly/3a97CJJ.
NMSU photo by Josh Bachman
