Kitchen Creations

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Classes are free of charge through funding from NM Health, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, and NMSU Cooperative Extension Service

• En Español

If you have diabetes, making healthy meals can be a real challenge. Kitchen Creations can help!

Note: You may sign up for classes even if you do not live in a county offering them.

More classes will be offered. The best way to find out about future classes as they are scheduled is to subscribe to the Diabetes MAPP Newsletter.

About Kitchen Creations

What is Kitchen Creations? A series of four classes on nutrition and cooking for adults with diabetes.

What would I learn? How to plan and prepare meals that manage carbs and promote heart health. Details on each session are listed further down the page under "Curriculum."

What would I need to bring? Yourself! We provide a workbook, diabetes cookbooks, and other resources to help you succeed in the classes and at home. If you are participating from a computer, other electronic device, or phone, we will mail your books to you.

How much does it cost? It is free to participants through funding from the New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division, Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, the American Diabetes Association, and the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service. Many organizations throughout New Mexico also sponsor Kitchen Creations cooking schools in their communities.

Is it offered in English only? Kitchen Creations is offered in English and Spanish. The Spanish version is Creaciones de cocina. We can also offer the program featuring Soul Food upon request.

How do I sign up? Scroll down to the Schedule of Classes, and use the registration info. You may also call your County Extension Office (use the link under "Questions" at the bottom of this page) or the DOH referral system at (505) 850-0176 or (575) 703-2343.

In addition to signing up for Kitchen Creations, they can help you register for these other programs offered free of charge through funding from the Department of Health:

• National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP): 16 weekly classes, followed by monthly meetings for the rest of the year. For adults with prediabetes. English and Spanish classes available.

• Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP): 6 weekly classes. For adults with a chronic disease. The Spanish version is Tomando Control de su Salud.

• Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP): 6 weekly classes. For adults with type 2 diabetes. The Spanish version is Programa de Manejo Personal de la Diabetes.

• Cancer: Thriving and Surviving Program (CTSP): 6 weekly classes. For adults with cancer. The Spanish version is Cáncer: Triunfando y Sobreviviendo.

• Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP): 6 weekly classes. For adults who are living with chronic pain. The Spanish version is Programa de Manejo Personal de Color Crónico.

• Positive Self-Management Program for HIV (PSMP): 6 weekly classes. For adults who are living with HIV. The Spanish version is Programa de Manejo Personal del VIH.

• YMCA Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program (Y-BSMP): For adults who have hypertension.

• Falls Prevention Programs: To help older adults reduce their risk of falls and injuries through muscle strengthening, balance, and gait training.

Hear From Some of Our Participants

Curriculum

The Kitchen Creations curriculum was written to respond to the needs of people with diabetes in New Mexico. Kitchen Creations consists of 4 classes which last about 3 hours each. A Certified Diabetes Educator, Registered Dietitian, or other healthcare professional with expertise in diabetes teaches the nutrition education portion of each class. An Extension FCS Agent typically prepares and leads participants in the cooking portion of each class. Participants prepare and sample recipes at sessions 2, 3, and 4 so they can practice making balanced meals that help manage blood sugars.

Session 1 - Meal Planning

Participants learn to plan healthy meals and snacks. Instructors help them understand food groups, serving sizes, the 50 / 50 and Diabetes Plate methods, and they practice reading Nutrition Facts labels.

Session 2 - Balancing Carbohydrates

Participants learn to identify carbohydrate sources and make appropriate choices to reduce simple sugars, hidden sugars, and empty calories. They are taught about food safety and prepare recipes in class that model the 50 / 50 and Diabetes Plate methods. For example, the class may prepare a meat, fish, or poultry recipe, a grain or starchy vegetable recipe, a vegetable, a salad, and a dessert using fruit or a sugar substitute.

Session 3 - Vegetables, Beans, and Grains

Participants are encouraged to eat more foods in the vegetable group. Foods from the vegetable group contain only small amounts of carbohydrate and can be eaten liberally at meals and snacks. Foods from the grains / beans / starchy vegetable group contain a significant amount of carbohydrate. It is important to balance choices from this group with other lower carbohydrate foods. Foods from these two food groups provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They also contain phytochemicals that have been linked by research to preventing chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and eye disease. Participants are encouraged to prepare recipes using ingredients they may not have used before or cooking methods they may not have tried.

Session 4 - Heart Healthy Cooking

Heart healthy refers to choosing foods that are low in fat and sodium and high in fiber. People with diabetes are much more likely to suffer from heart disease than people without diabetes. Eating a diet high in saturated fat and having elevated blood glucose and high blood pressure can contribute to heart disease and other vascular problems. This session focuses on improving the flavor of food while decreasing saturated fats and sodium. Participants are introduced to herbs and spices, healthier cooking oils, and flavorful cheeses to liven up recipes. Participants prepare meat, poultry, and fish recipes using low-fat preparation methods and herbs and spices for seasoning, rather than salt.

Cooking Videos

If you have questions about a Kitchen Creations cooking school in your area, please contact your local County Extension Office. For other questions, please contact:

Cassandra Vanderpool, MS, RDN, LD
Extension Associate II
Kitchen Creations Statewide Coordinator
Cell: 575-202-5065
Email: cvpool@nmsu.edu