Healthy Teaching Kitchen Program
Making healthy food choices is the #1 thing you can do for your health. Learning how to cook can be a key step towards getting healthier foods on your plate. The Healthy Teaching Kitchen (HTK) program provides Veterans with nutrition knowledge, cooking skills, and guided practice to build confidence in cooking at home with healthy, minimally processed foods.
VA facilities across the country offer Healthy Teaching Kitchen (HTK) programs which teach Veterans and their support persons about food, nutrition and how to prepare and store balanced, healthy dishes. Classes are open to VA-enrolled Veterans and a “plus one” if desired– this can be a partner, family member, caretaker or anyone involved in helping you purchase an prepare food. HTK classes are taught in-person at your local VA, or online via the VA Video Connect (VVC) platform and range from demonstration-style, to hands-on and cook-along participation. Classes include nutrition education and discussion on different nutrients, meal balancing, grocery shopping, meal planning, cooking skills, and more. The classes also provide simple, quick and tasty recipes to support your health journey. Many HTKs also include disease-specific options, such as carbohydrate-controlled cooking for diabetes, support for heart health, and anti-inflammatory cooking. To find out if your facility has an HTK program, contact your PACT dietitian/nutritionist today!”
Visit the Healthy Teaching Kitchen Cookbook and Recipe Library page
Handouts on Cooking:
Basic Cooking Terms and Tools
Cooking Whole Grains
How to Cook Vegetables
How to Grow Herbs For Cooking
HTK Healthy Plate for Meal Planning
HTK Tools and Resources
Recipe and Cooking Video Resource Sheet
Setting Up Your Kitchen for Cooking
Visit the Healthy Teaching Kitchen YouTube Channel to watch video recipes.
