Get cooking with the VA

The Veterans Health Administration is providing patients with nutrition education and sustainable healthy eating habits through its Healthy Teaching Kitchen Program, which provides in person and virtual cooking classes. Currently, 124 VA facilities offer in person cooking classes. Learn about the Healthy Teaching Kitchen Program here.

The Healthy Teaching Kitchen Program helps with:

·         Planning meals and snacks

·         Grocery shopping

·         Shopping and eating well on a budget

·         Adapting recipes to use the items you have or like

·         Simple recipes that use common ingredients

·         Balancing meals

·         Reading labels

·         Following a recipe

·         Using the tools you have in your own kitchen

·         Reducing food waste

·         Making food taste great with herbs and spices

·         Cooking for specific health conditions

Format: Classes offered in person allow patients to cook in a VA facility kitchen or a mobile kitchen cart set up in a conference room.  For virtual classes, patients will watch a cooking demonstration from their home computer or cook along in their kitchen while following an instructor.  

Frequency: A series of three to 12 cooking classes along with single classes.

Experience: Patients can actively engage in discussion around cooking and nutrition; watch or practice making a recipe in class; and taste the dish in class.

Education: Patients will learn meal planning, budgeting, grocery shopping, label reading, food prep, storage, safety, culinary skills and techniques.

Effect: Patients will build confidence and practice for home cooking and build a social connection with group participants.

For a virtual class, you will:

·         Receive class workbook with education handouts and recipes ahead of time.

·         Receive communication (email or regular mail) the week before class with tips about the program, the recipes and grocery list.

·         Choose the recipe you will make in class or after class.

·         Grocery shop for items you need.

·         Ask questions during cooking, discuss modifications and substitutes.

 For a library of healthy recipes provided by the Healthy Teaching Kitchen Program, visit  nutrition.va.gov/Recipes.asp. And visit the Healthy Teaching Kitchen YouTube Channel to watch cooking demonstrations.