Teaching Kitchen in Rotterdam
Between August and December 2023, we will hold five health workshops and culinary classes in collaboration with Community Kitchen Rotterdam. Our events are open to all neighborhood members in Rotterdam North.
Health knowledge should be accessible to all
Thanks to a grant provided by SOL Rotterdam, HarvestCare, and Community Kitchen Rotterdam were able to offered a series of workshops and dinners for the community members in Rotterdam North. Our goal was to bring nutrition and health topics directly to people’s local environments, lowering the barriers of exchange and connection around the dinner table.
During the five months, we have facilitated workshops about:
Introduction to food is medicine
How to eat healthy on a low budget
Women's hormonal health and diet
Mental health and nutrition
How to reduce sugar consumption
Each workshop combined theoretical knowledge, practical exercises, and shared cooking and dining experiences with menu design according to the workshop topic.
The 5 lessons we gained from the project
Putting knowledge into practice - right away - is a great approach to supporting people in their dietary behavior change
Dining together gives people an opportunity to exchange and open up. It creates a safe space to share our vulnerabilities, hopes, and worries—that is healthcare, too!
Everyone can cook and create delicious healthy dishes - some people just need support to do so.
Many community members are motivated to eat healthy, but the financial obstacles are often too high, lowering their chances of doing so.
Kids (below 12 years old) are more likely to engage in health-promoting activities than teenagers. To reach this younger population, we need to be creative and make healthy behavior ‘cool' and fun for them.