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Adagio Health Armstrong WIC location opens first Teaching Kitchen
The public is invited to an Open House and Cooking Demonstration on Sept. 26Pittsburgh, PA (September 12, 2023) – The Kitchen is Open in downtown Kittanning – as the region’s first WIC-funded Teaching Kitchen in western PA begins holding classes at Adagio Health’s Armstrong WIC office on Market Street. Right now – close to 1,000 parents and families in Armstrong County participate in WIC, a program that ensures pregnant moms, caregivers, babies, toddlers, and preschool-aged children have access to nutritious food every month. But access to healthy food is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to combatting food insecurity. Understanding how to prepare and utilize those foods is also important.
“We’re excited to bring this new initiative to our WIC families and communities,” said Britney Zwergel, Vice President of Nutrition and Education Programs at Adagio Health. “Participants will learn how to utilize their WIC foods in new, creative ways in addition to trying new foods.”
Classes are provided at no cost, and WIC participants and family members from Armstrong County and surrounding communities are invited to participate. The plan is to host monthly sessions at the Kittanning Kitchen. All classes will be taught by Adagio Health WIC and SNAP-Ed staff.
“The Teaching Kitchen also provides the ability for a multigenerational cooking experience for parents or grandparents to cook alongside their children,” said Samantha Elms, WIC Director at Adagio Health. “I enjoy cooking with my children at home and seeing their interest in foods grow! It’s great to bring this same experience to our WIC families.”
The Open House on Sept. 26 will feature a cooking demo of Fall pumpkin pudding and a recipe that incorporates local apples from Dillner Family Farms. Dillner Family Farms’ produce had also been available at WIC Farmers Markets this summer.
Teaching Kitchen participants are provided all food items to make pre-selected recipes for the class and are encouraged to taste their meals and bring home leftovers. The Teaching Kitchen is a place to cook, eat, and learn about healthy foods in a fun and hands-on environment. Participants can expect to learn about basic cooking skills, nutrition education, mindful eating, family meals, infant feeding, and more.
Topics that instructors plan to cover in the Kittanning Kitchen include:
- Quick, budget-friendly meals
- Kid-friendly snacks
- Infant-feeding options, including introducing solids in the first year
- How to adapt recipes to fit your needs
- How to introduce more vegetables and fruits into your children’s diets
- Healthy drink alternatives for your family
- Creating a kitchen environment where everyone helps out with cooking meals
All Adagio Health Medical offices and WIC locations feature Food Cupboards for patients that are struggling with food security, providing immediate assistance and access to food that is aligned with USDA’s MyPlate: Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy, and lean proteins. Adagio Health data shows that 92% of surveyed food cupboard patrons reported a decrease in their family’s stress around food this month.
Adagio Health supports participants at every step, providing nutritious foods through Food Cupboards and providing opportunities to educate and show participants how to turn that food into healthy meals for their families through the WIC Teaching Kitchen.
Adagio Health manages WIC in five Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Indiana, and Lawrence. Adagio Health also operates nine western PA medical offices in Butler, Erie, Edinboro, Greensburg, Hopewell Township, Indiana, New Castle, Seneca, and Uniontown.
To learn more about Adagio Health’s Teaching Kitchen and to register for a class, go to https://www.adagiohealth.org/teaching-kitchens
Find the nearest Adagio Health Food Cupboard at https://www.adagiohealth.org/food-cupboards
Photo credits:
First photo: Ruth Bender, Adagio Health Power-Up and Snap-Ed Director, helps Armstrong WIC Teaching Kitchen participants mix ingredients together.
Second photo: Participant Madi Brown carefully cuts cantaloupe as she follows the recipe for the Teaching Kitchen.