Jefferson Towers resident enjoys a homemade meatless meal.

AmeriCorps Team Member Cindy Kendall was just days away from launching a pilot program for Muskegon Prescribes Food for Health graduates called “Fresh Conversations” —developed by the Michigan Fitness Foundation—when the state shutdown was announced in March.

“The class was a combination of conversations, food tastings, education, and recipes. We’d go to the grocery store and look at labels, and learn how to buy produce at the best prices. That was the vision, but the classes couldn’t go forward.”

For months, those graduate classes were put on pause, but as of two weeks ago, Cindy has been holding a limited, socially distant version of the class for residents of Jefferson Towers here in Muskegon.

The residents’ reasons for attending "Fresh Conversations" are many: some come to learn about food as medicine, some to get new recipes and exchange tips, some for the safe socializing with a “support group” feel.

"I'm a Home Caregiver, so I'm learning new recipes to make for my patients," said resident Esther Cummings, "I have patients who are vegan and vegetarian. And I know my patients who are diabetic would love this."

As the title suggests, the class is unstructured to allow for a conversational flow. Last week, residents discussed "Meatless Meals" over a helping of Cindy's homemade veggie lasagna and a fresh chickpea and cucumber salad.

Cindy opened with a question about meat alternatives: "Beans are a really good, inexpensive alternative to meats, especially if you're watching your cholesterol. How do you use beans in your cooking?"

Residents began sharing cooking experiences, recipes, and health journeys. They exchanged ideas. Conversation meandered, but remained food-focused. From across the room, a couple people made plans to pickle beets together.

At the mention of beets, one resident chimed in, "I used to say: 'I like all vegetables but beets,' "My mom would always get canned and I hated them. Then a friend said, get a fresh one, slice it thin and roast it in the oven. So I did. I roasted it with other root vegetables and oil, salt, and pepper. I ate them up like potato chips. Roasting them made me love them."

As class ended, each resident was given a bag of fresh produce from McLaughlin Grows Urban Farm to use throughout the coming days --until their next "Fresh Conversation."

Author: Chelsea Tanis