EatWell Exchange

Only 2.7% of dietitians are black or Hispanic, but blacks and Hispanics have a higher risk of many medical conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. EatWell Exchange works with diverse communities to promote wellness with a focus on their culture. As dietitians, we show communities that they can still have their cultural foods and live a healthy lifestyle. We have taught over 17,450 people, including community members in Liberty City, Miami Gardens, Overtown, Cutler Bay, and Goulds. One of our principles is to "meet people where they are", so we encourage small changes towards larger goals. Our focus areas are nutrition education, increasing access, and improving culinary skills. We have worked with community gardens, pantries, and community fridges to establish better access to healthy foods. This summer we had various culinary academies, teaching middle to high school age students how to prepare simple, healthy, and affordable meals. We present to schools, churches, organizations, and community events to promote wellness. Serving populations of all ages and demographics, we find a variety of methods to educate our population, ranging from scavenger hunts, cooking demo, and formal presentation. This year we have started a Prevent Diabetes Culinary Program to teach black families how to make traditional dishes and still work. towards preventing diabetes. We provide a variety of programs to ensure we will be able to impact as many community members and organizations to prevent negative health outcomes.