YMCA Offers Cooking Classes and Meal Planning

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Cooking Classes for adults and kids return this Fall at the South Montgomery County Branch Crossing YMCA. The first class is scheduled for September 5th, 9:30 – 11 a.m. and will feature Back to School Meals Made Easy.

New this Fall is Meal Planning 101, which will be led by Kathy Veath, a Registered Dietician. The program will include classroom work and a cooking session. The focus is to teach how to plan and cook healthy balanced meals. For example, students will learn how much sugar is really in the pop tart, fruit loops, soda, sweetened juices and other foods along these lines and be taught alternatives to these that are less processed, less sugar and more vitamins. The first session begins Sept. 16, 10:30 a.m.

The popular Kids Cooking Classes will resume this Fall for ages 6 – 12. Offered once a month on Saturday, each session has a theme. The program’s objective is to teach the kids fun, friendly, hands on way to cook healthy foods. Taught by Christi Simpson, who has 20 years experience teaching adults and kids to cook, she explains her goal for the class. “I want them to discover new foods that they never thought they would eat. In the last year we have introduced many new foods to them and they were quite surprised to find that they liked them. (edemame, rhubarb, jicama, sweet potatoes, fresh coconut, purple potatoes, we even put chocolate in chili). I think when they see what really goes into pimento cheese or even a casserole, they are more apt to try and like it. I love teaching them the science and history behind foods. They love trivia like why is white chocolate white; what is the difference between herbs and spices; is cinnamon really a bark”. The fall sessions are:

- Sept. 13, Back to School Snacks and Lunches
- Oct. 11, Ghoulish Treats
- Nov. 8, Fall Harvest
- Dec. 6, Christmas Goodies

Kids ages 6 – 8 meet at 9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. and kids ages 9 – 12 meet at Noon.

To register stop by the YMCA on Shadowbend Place or the Branch Crossing YMCA, 8100 Ashlane Way in The Woodlands. For more information please call 281-367-9622 or visit the YMCA's Web site.