April 2 kick-off event for Shoreline Eats4Health Awareness Month

Are you ready for a change to a healthier way of eating? Looking for inspiration or new ideas as you plan your meals? Need help with healthy meal preparation techniques? During the entire month of April the City and many community partners will celebrate the second annual Eats4Health month by highlighting learning opportunities, specials on nutritious foods at local stores, and lifestyle changes that can help residents lead a healthy life.

In Shoreline's Vision 2029 Statement, a 20-year community vision, Shoreline is described as a "healthy community." To further this vision, Council adopted a Healthy City Strategy that supports and encourages community members to make healthy lifestyle choices. A primary component in healthy lifestyles is nutritious food. Access to sources of healthy food and knowing how to prepare healthy meals provides the foundation for nutritious diets and lowers the risk of obesity and diabetes.

To kick off Eats4Health month, please join the City and partner organizations at a Healthy Eating Event on Tuesday, April 2, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at City Hall. Cynthia Lair, Assistant Professor and Culinary Curriculum Director at Bastyr University and author of Feeding the Whole Family and Feeding the Young Athlete: Sports Nutrition Made Easy for Players, Parents and Coaches, will provide a keynote address.

Her topic will be on “mindful cooking.” In today’s rush to get everything in, we tend to be thinking about other things when shopping for food or cooking our meals, and we pay a price for that. Lair will explain how being present when we shop for food and cook will improve our well-being and improve our food! In addition to being an author and professor, Lair also hosts an online cooking show called Cookus Interruptus (cookus.tv) She has produced over 170 videos showing you how to cook fresh, local, organic whole foods despite life’s interruptions.

Before and after Lair’s presentation, residents can sample food, pick up new recipes and get information on making healthy food and lifestyle choices at a vendor fair of local companies and organizations. Partner organizations include: Central Market, Richmond Beach QFC, Haggen Northwest Fresh, Shoreline Farmer’s Market, Dale Turner Family Y, Shoreline Lake-Forest Park Senior Center, Shoreline School District Food Services, Diggin' Shoreline, Picture Health Nutrition Solution and King County Library System.

Visit the Shoreline website to learn more. For questions about the City of Shoreline’s Healthy City Strategy contact Community Services Manager Rob Beem 206-801-2251.