Penn State Extension teaches heart-healthy eating at YMCA

Dillon Carr | Friday, September 27, 2019 11:32 a.m.

This undated photo provided by America’s Test Kitchen in July 2019 shows Summer Tomato Gratin in Brookline, Mass. This recipe appears in the cookbook "Vegetables Illustrated." (Carl Tremblay/America’s Test Kitchen via AP)

Penn State University is coming to the Sampson Family YMCA to show people how to cook foods that helps reduce high blood pressure.

There are around 15 spots for the 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 24 cooking class. Tickets cost $39. The class will be held in the YMCA’s Teaching Kitchen.

Dori Owczarzak, PSU extension educator, and Carrie Masterson, PSU program assistant, will teach in the kitchen, which is part of the international Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, an initiative headed by the Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard Chan School.

Participants will learn about recommended portion sizes and how to prepare and eat a variety of foods that improve heart health.

The Penn State Extension cooking class focuses on nutrition, healthy shopping, time saving and other tips so “cooks of all skill levels can navigate around the kitchen with confidence,” according to a news release.

Owczarzak said the DASH plan, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, will be used.

“It’s an eating plan that doesn’t require special foods,” she said. “It’s full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low fat dairy products.”

To register, visit extension.psu.edu/lets-cook-dash or call 877-345-0691.