Food for Life: African American Culinary Heritage

Food for Life: African American Culinary Heritage is a six-week plant-based nutrition and cooking class series designed to honor and explore the history of African American culinary traditions. The series honors the ancestral ties of West African foodways that were brought to the United States through the Middle Passage and the culinary traditions, such as soul food, developed by African Americans throughout their history in the United States. The course will also help participants seeking to prevent or overcome high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other health conditions that disproportionately affect African Americans.

WHAT: Get inspired and empowered about healthful eating with delicious and culturally appropriate plant-based recipes. Each class includes:

• Information about how certain foods and nutrients work to promote or discourage disease
• Cooking demonstrations of delicious and healthful plant-based recipes
• Practical cooking skills and tips for incorporating healthful eating habits into daily life

WHY: Research shows the health benefits of adopting a plant-based diet for high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers, all chronic diseases that, due to multiple socioeconomic factors, disproportionately affect African Americans.

More About Food for Life

Designed by physicians, dietitians, and other health experts, Food for Life classes promote healthful plant-based eating based on the latest scientific research.

Food for Life is a collaborative effort of physicians, researchers, and nutritionists who have joined together to educate the public about the benefits of a healthful diet for weight management and disease prevention. Based in Washington, D.C., Food for Life is a program of the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.