What’s Cooking at DHIC Senior Communities

Hands-on learning during the cooking class.

During the spring semester, NC State University Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Science students from the A PACKed Kitchen program will visit Murphey School, Willow Creek, Water Garden Park, Meadowcreek Commons, and Pennington Grove, all senior communities, to offer on-site nutrition and cooking classes for residents.

The classes will provide residents with a hands-on learning experience around making healthy and tasty meals on a limited budget. In addition, residents will leave each class with a donation of the ingredients used in the cooking demonstration so they are able to recreate the meal in their own homes.

The first classes held at Meadowcreek Commons in Raleigh and Willow Creek in Cary were a huge success! One resident expressed how she was at first hesitant to attend the cooking class, but afterward, was so glad she decided to join the group. She explained, “I’ve been cooking all my life, and it was so fun learning how to cook something outside my normal meals.” In this class, the students taught them how to make a Greek dinner.  Not only did they learn how to cook a new meal, but it gave them an opportunity to socialize with other residents.

A PACKed Kitchen is a satellite program of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle of Raleigh, NC and Share Our Strength of Washington, D.C. It provides undergraduate students hands-on experience teaching Cooking Matters cooking and nutrition classes. A PACKed Kitchen partners with nonprofit community agencies to deliver classes throughout the Raleigh area.  DHIC’s longstanding partnership with the program helps to promote healthy habits and provides an opportunity for seniors to engage in meaningful learning experiences together.