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Food As Medicine Cooking Classes
Last Tuesday of Each Month, 10am - 12pm
at Waimanalo Health Center
A Partnership between:
Waimanalo Health Center
MA Farm
Well Fed Ohana
We're excited to announce a series of free cooking classes that showcase the delicious canoe plant, island adapted food plants of the Well Fed Ohana plus Ma Farms garden organic produce and farm fresh eggs. In partnership with the Waimanalo Health Center, this cooking class aims to promote healthy eating habits and highlight the benefits of locally-sourced, organic ingredients. Participants have the opportunity to learn new recipes, cooking techniques, and nutritional tips while enjoying the freshness and flavor of our farm-fresh produce. We believe that this collaboration with the Waimanalo Health Center not only inspire individuals to cook wholesome meals but also foster a deeper appreciation for sustainable agriculture and community wellness to grow their own food.
All the classes are now available below, complete with recipes and the video from each class. Whether you missed a class or simply want to revisit your favorite recipes, you can now access everything you need in one convenient location.
Happy cooking!
Meet our nutritionist
Dr. Amy Nielsen, DCN (Doctor of Clinical Nutrition)
Amy Nielsen is a classically trained Chef and Herbalist pursuing a Doctoral degree in clinical nutrition studying the development of culturally appropriate paradigms for nutrition management of metabolic syndrome including diabetes, cardiovascular disease/hypertension, and lipedema/lymphedema. Amy has been working with clients for over 20 years developing personalized plans managing complex health concerns using diet, herbs, and lifestyle modification to meet client-centered goals. An avid researcher, Amy uses science-backed information and clinical experience to formulate theories and guiding principles for health management. They enjoy parsing complex medical information into actionable steps to initiate change and maintain sustainable solutions for diverse goals.
Amy works with WIC clients in Haaula doing just what we intend to do in Waimanalo. Not only sharing health promoting nutritional information but talking story and preparing and tasting meals made from local produce - from the agro-forest to the farm garden to the home Family Food Forest.
And our Chef Heidi Bailey
We met Heidi B. as part of a dream she had to create a farm to fork event and somehow our Ma Farm organic cucumbers were transformed into an emerald Gazpacho soup, our tomatoes became the blood in a “Hoe Mary” take on a Bloody Mary, and our Cassava formed the base for a onolicious rosemary crusted maui raised beef tenderloin with small kine farm mushrooms. Heidi is truly a food artist.
In her words:
“I dreamed of meeting the farmers and hearing their stories, their passion, and their love of the land, the seasons, and the miraculous alchemy of growing real food. I dreamed of accepting their invitation to come into their fields and pull the things from the ground, to listen to their tips of how to cook them, and then to create a menu using 100% local ingredients.”
She has taken her creativity and passion for fresh local food and started putting together our portfolio of easy to make recipes featuring the “food as medicine” boxes with culturally appropriate food for our Waimanalo and Windward side Hawaiian, Polynesian, Micronesian, and Filipino families (plus get all the mixtures).
These meals will be featured in recipe cards in our boxes and available at Waimanalo farmers market as well as online in our Well Fed Ohana meal database featuring her exquisite food photography as well as Tik Tok style step by step videos so popular among our younger people.
