COLUMBIA, S.C. — FoodShare South Carolina opened a teaching kitchen Thursday, a part of the organization's goal to teach the community how to prepare fresh food.
The organization’s overall mission is to provide fresh, affordable food for everyone in the state, regardless of what neighborhood or area they might live in.
“We hope that they gain confidence that they can cook," said Omme-Salma Rahemtullah, the interim executive director at FoodShare SC. "That you can turn a turnip or an eggplant into something delicious and nutritious and healthy for your family,”
The project to create a teaching kitchen the drawing board back in 2021, and is now hitting the cutting board. The teaching kitchen will help community members learn how to prepare healthy meals at home.
“How do you cook that produce, how do you eat in a healthy way, how do you have education around what to do with the produce and how do you use produce to contribute to overall health especially when you have a dietary related disease such as diabetes or hypertension,” Rahemtullah said.
The kitchen will go hand in hand with the organization’s Fresh Food Box Program that offers community members fresh produce at a low cost. The cooking classes will also be offered to seniors at University of South Carolina's School of Medicine.
“Med students do not get a lot of hours on nutrient education even though that’s vital to health care so we’re really proud of that work too and being able to shape that education that medical students receive here in South Carolina,” Rahemtullah said.
According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), in 2022, 42% of adults in South Carolina did not eat fruit at least once a day. That's higher than the national median of 40%.
Rahemtullah says the issue of food insecurity exists here in Richland County.
“Food insecurity rate in this county is around 10% and in the state its around 12-13% so its a real issue that there are people in our community who are not getting enough to eat,” she said.
Cassidy Socia is a student at the University of South Carolina who hopes to benefit from the classes.
“Learning to prepare foods that are easy, quick and super nutritious is highly beneficial for students," she said. " “I love to cook but I know a lot of people that struggle with cooking and just getting to know different techniques and getting familiar with different spices to add can really help people enjoy cooking more and become more confident."
FoodShare SC says they hope to start classes for community members this spring and for students in the fall.
“In my kitchen, your kitchen, everyone’s kitchen is the heart of a house and that kitchen is the heart of our building so we hope that we build community there,” Rahemtullah said.