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In an effort to continually optimize FCHS’ nutrition education classes, Joan Healy, a Family and Community Health Sciences staff member, coordinated a “Cultural Foodways” training for nutrition educators in Mercer, Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington counties. Since a large proportion of the participants we serve in these counties are African American and/or Latino, the training focused on learning more about the foodways of these groups.
Our chef trainers, who are part of the Arts Institute of Middlesex County “Share Your Foodways” team, shared the historical, social and cultural foodways of the groups; helped us improve our cultural awareness; increased our sensitivity to their food practices, norms and terminology to help us connect with our participants in a more informed, nuanced way; and shared specific food ingredients favored by the groups, to better enable staff to select additional culturally appropriate recipes.
All agreed that the training will help us to better tailor our classes for our key participant groups!