Cooking for the Health of It A Health and Cooking Program for English Language Learners

This was a three-year program (2015-17) developed and led by University of Illinois Extension Educators, Kristin Bogdonas and Brad Cirks. "Cooking for the Health of It" took place at Bethel Wesley United Methodist Church in Moline, Illinois and was a part of the Black Hawk College Family Literacy program. Partial funding for the project was provided by the Bi-State Literacy Council.

Background

Communities all across the U.S. are becoming more diverse as immigrants and refugees from war-torn countries flood here for relief. Illinois has a long history of welcoming refugees and also providing leadership nationally for modelling refugee resettlement. In addition to roughly 3,000 refugees a year, Illinois generally gets 35,000 to 40,000 legal immigrants annually. In 2015, the greatest number of refugees came from Myanmar, formerly Burma as well as, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Iraq & Syria.¹

The Cooking for the Health of It program was designed with the immigrant and refugee population in mind. Acclimating to the food environment in the United States can be challenging, putting them at an increased risk for poor eating habits and chronic disease. This series teaches healthy cooking techniques, food safety, basic nutrition, and provides social support to aid in the acquisition of new information and literacy skills- the highest predictor of health status and the key to success in our national health agenda.

Objectives

1. Students will learn the basics of cooking- using the correct kitchen equipment, measuring dry and liquid ingredients and following a recipe.

Picture recipes are helpful when working with English Language Learners.

2. Students will gain confidence in using new equipment and ingredients that may be unfamiliar to them.

Students making smoothies with fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and healthy fats.

3. Students will gain knowledge in cooking meals that are healthy and budget friendly.

Individual pizzas on whole-wheat English muffins.

4. Increased knowledge of healthy cooking methods and awareness of nutrition information will help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

Nutrition Education- MyPlate

In year 3 of this program, a few students were offered the opportunity to "teach back" a health topic previously taught by the Extension Educators to further develop their English language skills. Two students accepted the challenge and went above-and-beyond.

The two students that agreed to lead the class in a health lesson had been in our program for 2 years and displayed leadership skills when working with the newer students. They were also becoming proficient in the English language making them great candidates for this new role.

"Hidden Sugars" lesson- handouts and materials

The students were taught a lesson on "Sugar" and were provided with teaching materials, handouts and activities to use during the class. We were pleasantly surprised when they developed large posters and visuals to help get the message across about hidden sugars in common foods and beverages.

Their kids did a great job assisting during the presentation!

This kind of engagement allows them to:

• Build self-confidence by taking on a new role

• Apply their knowledge of the English language in a new context

• Utilize interactive/experiential delivery techniques

• Feel more comfortable sharing with their peers

• Develop a deeper understanding of the messages and material being delivered

We asked them a few questions afterward and this is what they said about their experience

At first we were a little nervous, insecure and even a little worried about the theme. Although we were stressed, once we started talking we felt secure and proud. We would do this again.
Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new. -Brian Tracy, Author

Tips for reaching under-served audiences²

Offer programs in familiar surroundings- i.e. churches, schools, community centers

Provide childcare for those who have children

Use materials written at the appropriate level of understanding; use images where possible

Involve community-based organizations already serving the target population

Develop long-term programming initiatives, not just a one-time program

Get to know the real-life needs of the audience

Focus Group Results

“This was a multi-faceted approach that encouraged participants to strengthen their use of the English language through interactions during the cooking segment and then follow-up discourse over a shared meal.” –ESL teacher

Participants indicated they are now engaging in label reading when shopping for groceries, reducing sodium and saturated fats in their meals, being more physically active during leisure time and making more items from scratch instead of buying the boxed version.

A special thank you goes out to the teachers at Bethel Wesley United Methodist Church for their enthusiasm and the positive environment they created. They were helpful in so many ways. We would also like to thank Bi-State Literacy Council for the grant that funded this program for two consecutive years (2015, 2016).
Teachers Kathy and Rachel. Teacher Liz can be seen in the photo at the beginning.

For more information, contact Kristin Bogdonas, Nutrition & Wellness Educator, at kmbogdo@illinois.edu.

Sources:

  1. McKinney, M. (2016, Feb. 11). Illinois Issues: Refugees Seek A Haven In Troubled Times. Accessed from: http://wuis.org/post/illinois-issues-refugees-seek-haven-troubled-times#stream/0
  2. Ohio State University Extension. (March 2015). Reaching Underserved Audiences. Extension Marketing: It’s Everyone’s Business!

Credits:

Created with images by USDAgov - "Edible MyPlate Snowman. Step 1" • Mizianitka - "pens colors to write take notes school" • USDAgov - "20130423-FNS-RBN-5861"

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