Students gathered in Klehm Hall Tuesday night to prepare a heart-healthy meal and learn more about heart disease prevention.

It was the first Healthy Cooking Workshop 101 of the semester, themed “Foods Your Heart Will Love.”

On the menu were turkey chili, oven-roasted broccoli, and roasted zucchini with thyme and dark chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies.

Before the cooking began, Stephanie Mumby, the nutrition promotion coordinator for the Health Education Resource Center, briefly discussed the importance of healthy eating.

“One in three deaths is caused by heart disease, and knowing the warning signs and how to help prevent this is important,” Mumby said.

She said some of the warning signs include nausea, light-headedness, shortness of breath, pain in the jaw and pain in the upper chest area.

“It’s also important to know the risk factors for heart disease, even at our age,” she said. “Obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, pre-existing conditions, and the one we will focus on tonight, our diet, are all factors we should be considering on a daily basis.”

Some heart-healthy choices people can make are: eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, choosing whole grains, getting our protein from skinless poultry and fish, using healthy oils and being physically active in general, she said.

After the introduction, students joined together to prepare a healthy meal.

Jessica Handley, a senior recreation administration major, said that this was her first time participating in a healthy cooking workshop.

“I thought it would be a great way to learn how to cook healthy meals for myself,” she said.

Handley said she would like to learn how to cook mashed potatoes and pasta, but a healthy version of them.

“Along with how to cook broccoli, I learned tonight there are many different ways to help your heart,” Handley said.

Not only does the HERC put together healthy cooking workshops, but there are also many upcoming events that might interest students if they want to learn more about leading a healthy lifestyle.

Mumby is putting together a grocery store tour that will take place on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.

“I’m excited for the grocery store tour because I’ve done this before – never at Eastern – and the participants really seemed to enjoy themselves and benefit a great deal from it,” she said.

The HERC also offers free one-on-one consultations for students who would like to discuss their needs, wants and goals.

Some upcoming events that students can look forward to are: rubber lovers, partner up with pizza, myth busting alcohol and the second healthy cooking workshop 101 of the semester on March 7.

Loren Dickson can be reached at 581-2812 or ladickson@eiu.edu