This Coastal Connection is sponsored by Baths by Spicer Bros.
GEORGETOWN, Del. - Healthy cooking can feel overwhelming, especially for families managing diabetes. A program through the University of Delaware is working to change that by teaching participants how to prepare nutritious meals without sacrificing flavor.
The "Dining with Diabetes" program offers hands-on instruction that goes beyond traditional classroom learning. Participants practice cooking meals designed to help control blood sugar levels while still being enjoyable to eat.
"Diabetes is a very interesting and hard thing to deal with," said participant Eileen McDaniel.
The program features live cooking demonstrations, food tastings and take-home recipes, allowing families to apply what they learn in their own kitchens.
"I think it’s wonderful, and it’s very helpful to lots of us," said McDaniel. "We actually brought three of us here instead of one initially because we want to learn, do things right and keep our health well."
Participants say the tastings are a highlight, but they also value the practical skills they gain.
"It’s been very helpful because it’s really helping us to key in on some of the things that we haven’t been doing already," McDaniel said.
Instructor Kimi Moore said the program is designed to ease fears often associated with a diabetes diagnosis and empower people to make healthier choices.
"A lot of times it takes people from feeling very restricted and very scared about their diagnosis or a potential diagnosis," Moore said. "It lets them see that they can still enjoy food and live a happy, healthy life."
Participants get to take home recipes that they learn in the lesson.
For many families, the benefits extend beyond the kitchen. Participants say the program provides tools to improve long-term health and reduce reliance on medication.
"We’re just trying to figure out how to make things better and how to eat better and not have to do lots of medication and have that rule our lives," McDaniel said. "Diabetes affects everything from your heart to your health all the way across the board."
Organizers say the goal is to show that managing diabetes does not mean giving up good food just learning new ways to prepare it.