The Healthy Kitchen Comes to Long Beach

Students in Long Beach High School’s Nike Alternative High School Program received a savory lesson in healthy eating and cooking from Dr. Robert Dell’Amore, the chief nutritionist of The Healthy Kitchen, Inc., an organization whose mission is to educate and empower adolescents to be healthier.

Assisted by Chef Elaine Medine, Dell’Amore showed students how to combine fresh vegetables, beans, olive oil and other fresh ingredients to prepare delicious and nutritious salt and sugar-free dishes that are low in saturated fat and rich in vitamins, unsaturated fat and flavor.

While he chopped and sautéed vegetables, Dell’Amore extolled the virtues of olive oil, fiber and fresh herbs. He also identified foods such as garlic and artichokes that are rich in cancer-fighting anti-oxidants.

“Restaurants often cook with too much salt, butter and sugar,” he explained as he showed the students how fun and easy it can be to cook up fresh food at home.

As the room filled with tantalizing smells, he invited everyone to sample the fresh salad, pasta and vegetable dishes he had whipped up before their eyes.

“For the past three years, our students have been growing their own fresh vegetables here at Nike,” said Director of Alternative and Adult Programs Marcia Mulé. “Doctor Dell’Amore’s cooking demonstration was an excellent way to extend their vision for a healthy lifestyle from the garden to the table.”