An item on many New Year’s resolutions lists might be to eat healthier. But balancing busy schedules with wholesome cooking can be tricky. That’s where Genga Ponnampalam comes in.
Ponnampalam, founder of the Buffalo-based vegan and gluten-free food company and café Go Veggies Inc., is sharing his culinary expertise in a cooking class Feb. 7 at the Willow Health and Wellness Center in Baldwinsville. Ponnampalam aims to show people that eating healthy can be easy and delicious.
“People are looking for taste,” Ponnampalam said. “[Fruits and vegetables] bring natural taste. Why do you have to use ketchup, mayonnaise?”
Ponnampalam said popular condiments, salad dressings, soups and soft drinks contain too many preservatives, sodium and sugar.
“You don’t need all those things,” he said. “I believe food is medicine.”
Ponnampalam suggested that people include five different colors of fruits and veggies in each meal. According to Diabetes Forecast, a healthy living magazine, decorating your diet with brightly colored veggies will supply you with nutrients.
For example, red, purple and blue foods, such as beets, eggplant and blueberries, contain antioxidants, vitamin C and fiber. Orange-hued pumpkin and sweet potatoes lower blood pressure, and leafy greens like kale and spinach boost your intake of calcium and vitamin A.
“If you go to a salad bar, you only see iceberg lettuce and tomatoes,” Ponnampalam said, adding that his class will include a recipe for a mango-avocado salad with quinoa and kale.
“These are very healthy vegetables,” he said.
Ponnampalam will teach people how to make 30-minute “grab-and-go” lunches and dinners, what to do with leftovers and tips on choosing fresh, locally-sourced produce.
“There are a lot of resources we have and we don’t use,” he said, citing local farmers markets.
Ponnampalam said he found the Willow Health and Wellness Center through one of his customers back in Buffalo. He said the center’s mission of healthy living resonated with him with its yoga and dance classes, acupuncture and chiropractic.
“Only one thing is missing — a cooking class,” Ponnampalam said. “You can do everything [when it comes to exercise], but if you don’t eat the right food, there’s no point.”
Ponnampalam’s class will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Willow Health and Wellness Center, located at 3090 Belgium Road in Baldwinsville. The cost is $20, and the class will last approximately 60 to 90 minutes. To sign up, call 663-5538 or email [email protected].
