FoodDay.org at Super Fi Emporium

Hey followers,

     This is the third installation of the West Harlem Group Assistance (WHGA) blog. This entry serves as a reflection of our time at FoodDay which occurred on October 24th, 2013. The event was hosted by the Partnership for a Healthier Manhattan to teach members of the community (primarily youth) healthy eating practices. See the flyer below:

Part of the education process revolves around dispelling certain beliefs members of the community have around food. One myth that has plagued the community of Harlem is the misconception about healthy foods- primarily fruits and vegetables; that they are expensive and taste bad. This myth partially stems from the particular resources (A topic we'll save for a later date) available to members of the community. The Food Day event attempted to combat this myth by providing inexpensive healthy snacks using foods/ingredients regularly found in the community.

WHGA members held the "Make your own Salad dressing event". This was an opportunity for members of the community to see how simple and cost-efficient it is to make salad dressing. The ingredients used to make the salad recipe cost a little under $25.00 but could easily last a year with regular use.

Although we strictly followed the recipe, that doesn't mean you have to. That's the beauty of making your own dressing: You can make it according to your own taste bud (The Beauty of America!). Why succumb to the likes of Kraft and Wishbone when you can make your own dressing in the comfort of your own home? Why should everyone have the same flavor in their dressing - That's communism! Prove that you live in a democratic society and exercise your right by making your own salad dressing!

See the recipes below (Try them and let us know what you think!).

The two recipes we served at the event. Try them and let us know what you think!

Since dressing can't be served by itself, we added some romaine lettuce to our dressings in sample cups. The romaine lettuce was a nice complement to the dressing; adding minimal, if any, interference with the flavor. However, dressings weren't the only flavorful items being served at the event. There were other delicacies there, but we at WHGA believe the most memorable one came from Harlem Seeds.

Some of the samples we had at the event

Harlem Seeds is an organization whose mission is to inspire young people to live long healthy lives; by empowering them to make appropriate food and lifestyle choices provided everyone with a harmonious snack that was comprised of kale, sun-dried tomatoes, sauteed garlic in olive oil and spike seasoning blend. Who knew that Kale (dare I say superfood?) and sundried tomatoes, both nutritious vegetables could formulate such a delicious snack? Harlem Seeds knew and were willing to let everyone in on their secret.

And lastly, WHGA would like to leave this blog post with feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. FoodDay [h2] was a fantastic event that brings WHGA's one step closer to Healthy Equity and a healthier Harlem. I met a plethora of interesting people who I'm excited to see in future events. Overall, the future of Harlem looks bright and promising.

-WHGA

Simple & Tasty

Hello followers,

Make it simple and tasty: Two things everyone would like to do when cooking and this recipe is no exception to the rule. Below is a simple dessert/snack I make when I'm in the mood to satisfy my sweet tooth but trying to keep it guilt-free. This dessert/snack is packed with potassium, protein, vitamin C and antioxidants to give your body the energy it needs. Not to mention it takes about 5 minutes of actual cooking time! Try it and let me know what you think!

Strawberry Banana Yogurt with Jello

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of bananas

- 1 packet of Jello (Sugar-free and strawberry flavor preferred).

- 3/4 cup fat-free French Vanilla yogurt.

- 1/2 cup sliced strawberries.

- 1 cup of boiling water.

- 1 cup of water at room temperature

Directions:

1) Prepare Jello as instructed on box.

  (Instructions for Jello Preparation)

- Add packet of Jello to one cup of boiling water.

- Stir until remnants are mixed.

- Add in the additional cup of water.

- Store in the refrigerator to solidify the mixture.

- Remove from the refrigerator to finish preparation.

2) Add rest of ingredients to prepared Jello.

3) Enjoy :)

-WHGA

Tubman Tenant Healthy meeting with Project SHARE

Tubman Tenant Healthy meeting with Project SHARE

The WHGA Healthy Living Team held its second community meeting at Tubman Apartments on October 17^th, and I must say, I was pleased with the turnout. This was my first opportunity to see some of the tenants and build a relationship with this population. Naturally, I started off shy but progressively became more outgoing as the night went on.

One of the most beneficial aspects of the meeting was being able to understand what works and what doesn’t. Food, as an incentive to participate, works! It gives attendees something to look forward to and provides hungry people satiation without them having to spend any time in the kitchen or money from their pocket.

Once tenants completed blood pressure screenings with our community partner, Project SHARE, they were welcomed to a spread of interesting foods: dried edamame, dark chocolate goji berries, quinoa salad, grape leaves, figs, hummus, unsalted whole-grain bread, sun-dried tomatoes and more (See the picture below).

Their reactions were priceless! Many of tenants were unable to pronounce the foods correctly, but that didn’t stop them from eating them! Dark chocolate-covered goji berries were particularly popular amongst our tenants - the sweet chocolaty taste mixed with the soft succulent berry proved to be a combo unmatched by anything else on the table.

As part of the WHGA Healthy Living Team, it’s my job to empower others to make better choices, so I’ll continue to expose our tenants to nutritious foods that they may not have had before. With my food science degree, I can honestly say I’m privy to the health benefits of a wide array of foods and I‘m elated to share my expertise with the Harlem community.

I enjoyed my time at the meeting and look forward to doing it again. One tenant commended the WHGA Healthy Living Team for the job we're doing and the positive impact were having on the community- hearing that alone, made our meeting worthwhile.

The beginning of something beautiful...

Greetings fellow "Healthians",

Not sure if that's a word (Actually I'm pretty sure it isn't) but I figured I'd use it anyway. Today marks my first very blog post, so forgive me if my thoughts are a bit jumbled and non-sensical. I can only promise that it will improve over time. Speaking of time, It's been a long time since I've had something to look to something and that something is finally here.

Through LISC Americorp, I've become the new Food Access Outreach Coordinator at West Harlem Group Assistance and I'm looking forward to all of the amazing things I'll do in the upcoming year. As a the new FAC, (Ha! already using acronyms) I'll be responsible for helping community members improve their health by making healthier food choices, understanding the importance of proper nutrition and creating social media outlets that the community can look to for information regarding Health initiatives- all things I believe will reduce the social health inequity in New York City. 

One of the great things about the position I accepted was the ability to get involved immediately. For example, Helene my co-worker at WHGA (Another one, how do you like that) and myself will be hosting a Healthy Living meeting at 148 west 143rd street. See the flyer below (you know I had to do this):

We'll be doing a Taste Testing event where everyone will taste things they've never experienced and compare it to some of things they eat regularly. A wise man once said variety is the spice of life and we're definitely living today! 

These tasting events allow me to revel in one of the things I've enjoyed most in the last eight years of my life: Cooking. Now, by no means am I Emeril Lagasse. But, I'd like to believe that I have a decent sense of taste and how to prepare things that others can "enjoy". Now, I say enjoy with caution. I've been a huge fitness enthusiast and I've been known to eat things with practically no flavor just to fit my macros (IIFYM anyone). With that said, I can promise you a few things: No bland food, fun and friendly people,  blood pressure screenings and Youth bucks to spend at the local farmer's markets across New York. A nice package to start a healthy new life or if you're already a healthy person, a nice incentive to continue your commitment to good health.

Hope to see you there,

Jeremy