Healthy cooking gives Airmen the edge at Altus AFB

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Levin Boland
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --   The Altus AFB Health and Wellness Center is promoting healthy eating through a dormitory cooking class held every two months.

The class is taught by Tara Johnson, 97th Medical Group HAWC dietician, to encourage Airmen to eat healthier by cooking for themselves.

"The dorm cooking class gives people the skills to do some quick healthy cooking as an alternative to ordering in or going through the drive through," said Johnson.

The Airmen are taught to prepare a variety of foods, from sautéed chicken to pizza rolls using basic cooking techniques that are provided during the class.

"It's just quick things like sautéing or boiling," she said.

Johnson encourages Airmen to use more fruits and vegetables in their cooking.

"We like to push produce in our cooking because only thirteen percent of Americans and nine percent of Airmen are getting enough fruits and vegetables every day," said Johnson.

The class will help increase mission efficiency by improving the health and lifestyles of young Airmen.

"I can speak from experience, because when you're really young you don't tend to think too much about nutrition," Johnson said. "Nutrition impacts how we feel right now. If we are not fit and healthy it's kind of hard to carry out the mission."

According to Johnson, healthy eating can also help increase your energy.

"Everybody wants that edge," Johnson said. "That's why energy drinks are so popular, but what they don't realize is that eating well can also give them an edge."

The classes are scheduled to be held every other month starting in June.

For more information about the Dorm Cooking Class, contact the HAWC at 580-481-5013.