{"id":43203,"date":"2024-11-11T14:57:27","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T19:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=43203"},"modified":"2024-11-11T15:02:39","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T20:02:39","slug":"montana-free-press-all-nations-health-center-hosts-cooking-classes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/11\/montana-free-press-all-nations-health-center-hosts-cooking-classes\/","title":{"rendered":"Montana Free Press: All Nations Health Center hosts cooking classes"},"content":{"rendered":" <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/11\/montana-free-press-all-nations-health-center-hosts-cooking-classes\/allnationshealthcenter\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-43208\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1153\" data-attachment-id=\"43208\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/11\/11\/montana-free-press-all-nations-health-center-hosts-cooking-classes\/allnationshealthcenter\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/11\/allnationshealthcenter.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1153\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-title=\"All Nations Health Center\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;All Nations Health Center&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dawn Yellowbird assembles a bison enchilada during a cooking class held by All Nations Health Center at the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center\u2019s learning kitchen in Missoula, Montana, on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. Photo: Katie Fairbanks \/ Montana Free Press&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/11\/allnationshealthcenter.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/11\/allnationshealthcenter.jpg\" alt=\"All Nations Health Center\" class=\"size-full wp-image-43208\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Dawn Yellowbird assembles a bison enchilada during a cooking class held by All Nations Health Center at the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center\u2019s learning kitchen in Missoula, Montana, on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. Photo: Katie Fairbanks \/ Montana Free Press<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Indigenous cooking class promotes nutrition, culture, connection<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">All Nations Health Center cooking classes focus on meal prep and sovereignty.<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, November 11, 2024<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Katie Fairbanks<\/div>\r\n<DIV class=\"source\">Montana Free Press<\/DIV>\r\n<DIV class=\"source-website\"><A \r\nhref=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/\">montanafreepress.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<p>MISSOULA, Montana &#8212;  On a Tuesday evening in late October, the smell of cooking onions and meat combined with the sound of lively chatter to create a friendly warmth in Missoula Food Bank\u2019s learning kitchen as about a dozen people prepared bison salsa verde enchiladas. <\/p><p>The cooking class, held by <a href=https:\/\/www.allnations.health>All Nations Health Center<\/a> on October 22, was the second of a <a href=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/allnationsmissoula\/posts\/pfbid0y6pyBJMxoMmxz5DaD51yksTjRy8eHZeEq1oq31Q3n7rov3oUDFDnb3wDgHWL6wrAl>three-part series focused on meal prep and Indigenous nutrition<\/a>. <\/p><p>After explaining the recipe, \u00c9rica Rubino, the registered dietitian leading the class, wandered among the hotplate stations giving directions and advice. <\/p><p>\u201cIf you\u2019ve made ground meat before, follow your heart,\u201d she said to the class. \u201cOr you can follow the instructions.\u201d <\/p><p>As they chopped onions, saut\u00e9ed ground bison and assembled the enchiladas, participants visited with each other, passed around utensils and shared ingredients like olive oil and garlic. <\/p><p>\u201cWhen you\u2019re cooking, there\u2019s not a right or wrong way,\u201d Rubino said. <\/p><p>The enchiladas were a \u201ctake-and-bake\u201d recipe because of the class\u2019 limited timeframe, and many class members said they were looking forward to eating the meal at home. <\/p><p>\u201cIt\u2019s really exciting to have access to bison,\u201d said participant May-Lyric Smith. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to cook traditional foods in a contemporary way.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fallnationsmissoula%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0y6pyBJMxoMmxz5DaD51yksTjRy8eHZeEq1oq31Q3n7rov3oUDFDnb3wDgHWL6wrAl&#038;show_text=true&#038;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share\"><\/iframe>\r\n<p>Sidney Fellows said she was \u201cstoked about the food\u201d but also appreciated the class\u2019 focus on Indigenous food nutrition and practical skills. <\/p><p>\u201cI have cooked with bison but not a lot,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to have classes to learn how to cook in ways maybe I wouldn\u2019t think of.\u201d <\/p><p>About half of the participants also attended the first class in the series in September, during which they made the salsa verde used in the enchiladas. <\/p><p>Dawn Yellowbird said the last class was really good and she likes discovering new things to cook and meeting new people. <\/p><p>\u201cI\u2019m not from here, and I don&#8217;t have friends in town,\u201d she said, \u201cI like to be around other Indigenous people and I like cooking.\u201d <\/p><p>The social aspect of the class was a major draw for Valerie Costilla. It was also an opportunity to learn a new recipe and cook with her daughter, she said.<\/p><p>\u201cI encouraged her to go to this one to meet other people and enjoy the atmosphere, which to me is family-based,\u201d Costilla said. <\/p><p>Class organizer Valene TalksDifferent, an All Nations health promotion specialist, said she liked seeing people from the same households working together and the participants sharing knowledge with each other. <\/p><p>The program provides the community with access to food, knowledge and kitchen supplies raffled off at the end of each class, TalksDifferent said. It also aims to reduce chronic diseases by providing access to nutritious and traditional foods and showing how to cook them, she said. <\/p><p>All Nations uses bison in various programs, including most of its cooking classes, TalksDifferent said. This year, the organization received bison from Bitterroot Bison ranch, and will use all parts of the animal, she said. <\/p><p>The series emphasizes food sovereignty \u2014 the ability of communities to control what they eat and how \u2014 by using traditional ingredients like bison and tomatillos grown in the All Nations garden, TalksDifferent said.  <\/p><p>The organization has held a variety of events centered around nutrition, including in-person and virtual cooking demonstrations and a farmers market scavenger hunt. <\/p><p>On November 19, the third class in the Indigenous sovereignty and meal prep series will start with tips on how to effectively grocery shop and get the most out of those groceries, TalksDifferent said. <\/p><p>While preparing for the cooking classes is a lot of work, it\u2019s meaningful, she said.<\/p><p>\u201cI love connecting with community members and reconnecting them to traditional foods and their identity,\u201d TalksDifferent said. \u201cI\u2019m reconnecting with my identity.\u201d <\/p><p>Most of the cooking classes and demonstrations tie culture into healthy cooking and include diabetes prevention or management strategies, said Rubino, the dietitian who led the October class. That\u2019s important because diabetes is prevalent in the Indigenous community, she said. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>In 2023, about 13% of American Indian\/Alaska Native adults had been diagnosed with diabetes, making them 1.5 times more likely to have the disease than white adults, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  <\/p><p>Rubino said she lets her classes know she is not Native and works with All Nations staff to make sure information is culturally relevant and appropriate. <\/p><p>Bison is the main traditional ingredient in most recipes Rubino teaches for All Nations, she said. From a diabetes prevention or management standpoint, bison is a leaner alternative to ground beef, Rubino said. <\/p><p>The nutrition program is part of All Nations\u2019 chronic disease and diabetes prevention grant requirements but also offers classes that are useful and practical to the community, Rubio said. <\/p><p>\u201cFor any health professional, you can tell someone the concerns and risks but that doesn&#8217;t mean it will turn into a behavior change,\u201d she said. \u201cHaving someone participate and do work is how people learn and how to engage people. \u2026 If you don&#8217;t know how to cook, you can have someone show you and support you. It makes such a difference to be hands-on and participate, rather than just hearing about it.\u201d <\/p><p>For the upcoming grocery store tour event, Rubino will focus on explaining nutrition facts included on items and giving tips for eating with diabetes or other diet modifications. <\/p><p>If she had unlimited time during the event, Rubino said she would discuss the layout of the grocery store and how food companies influence where items are located. For example, many less nutritious items are at eye level on shelves or close to the cashiers, she said. <\/p><p>Rubino said she would explain the benefits of shopping the perimeter of the store first where less-processed foods like produce and meat are located. She would also ask participants what common ingredients they purchase and give tips on how to choose items that are more nutritious and better priced. <\/p><p>\u201cThe store for some people is very frustrating and overwhelming. They don&#8217;t know what they\u2019re supposed to be looking for,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are a lot of tips and tricks to keep prices low, especially with how high prices are right now, that comes with having knowledge of the layout.\u201d <\/p><p>Rubino said health can look different for everyone. Eating and cooking healthily doesn\u2019t mean making everything from scratch or only using organic ingredients, she said. <\/p><p>\u201cIt\u2019s OK if people didn&#8217;t grow up cooking and want to learn,\u201d Rubino said. \u201cThe more you look at recipes and try it out, that&#8217;s how you learn. Whenever you can get support, that makes a big difference, but keep trying because healthy eating can look like a lot of different things. There\u2019s not just one way.\u201d <\/p><p>For Costilla, part of the mother-daughter duo at the Oct. 22 class, the event provided a supportive environment for cooking, something that\u2019s usually stressful. <\/p><p>\u201cThis is nice,\u201d she said, wrapping up her prepared enchiladas. \u201cWe\u2019ll see how it tastes tonight.\u201d  <\/p>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<strong>Note: This story originally <a href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2024\/11\/04\/indigenous-cooking-class-promotes-nutrition-culture-connection\/\">appeared on Montana Free Press<\/a>. It is published under a <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/3.0\/us\/\">Creative Commons license<\/a>.<\/strong>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cooking classes at the All Nations Health Center focus on meal prep and sovereignty.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11,1],"tags":[5644,379,5645,5647,40,5178,249,194,5646,6,5648],"class_list":["post-43203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-national","tag-all-nations-health-center","tag-bison","tag-dawn-yellowbird","tag-erica-rubino","tag-food","tag-food-sovereignty","tag-montana","tag-montana-free-press","tag-sidney-fellows","tag-urban-indians","tag-valene-talksdifferent","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-beP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/11\/allnationshealthcenter.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43203"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43215,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43203\/revisions\/43215"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}