Cura Hospitality celebrates the 2025 National Nutrition Month theme “Food Connects Us” with BeWell! Cura’s wellness and healthy eating platform, BeWell supports the importance of good nutrition not only during the month of March, but every day, encouraging seniors, guests and employees to make informed, healthier food choices!
BeWell Kitchen, the teaching kitchen component of BeWell, was recently conducted by Cura’s Corporate Executive Chef Jason Clark and Regional Director of Nutrition & Wellness Joe Herman, MS, RD, LDN, to residents at Phoebe Berks in Wernersville, PA, where they enjoyed this exciting, live learning workshop featuring the preparation of lentil falafel, leafy greens and blueberry salad bowl.
“BeWell Kitchens are an essential and engaging tool to help residents connect food to good health – making the healthy choice an easy choice.” says Cura Vice President of Nutrition and Wellness Michael Williams, DBA, MBD, RD, CDN.
Originally established by the Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Cura’s BeWell Kitchen offers both an interaction and hands-on learning and culinary experience for independent living residents who prepare the BeWell recipe with interactive instruction by our chefs.
Chefs prepare the live teaching kitchen demonstration, while our registered dietitians play an important role in helping our residents understand how to “make every bite count” by choosing foods rich in nutrients.
Phoebe residents were able to enjoy this salad bowl – full of flavor and nutrients, and a bonus recipe card with step-by-step instructions so they can easily replicate in their independent living apartment or home.
Cura has designed these culinary educational opportunities to help connect our residents to the concept of functional and fun foods – foods that offer a “functional” benefit beyond basic nutrition in a way that supports health and prevents disease.
In addition to instructions on how to present and promote, key elements of each workshop include:
- Chef explanation and demonstration of how to prepare a recipe and featured functional food
- Hands-on food preparation by some or all participants
- Registered dietitian nutritionist presentation of the recipe’s functional food(s), plus other nutrition information related to the recipe
- Take-home recipe card with nutrition facts, featuring health benefits of the functional food (s)
- Marketing tools like a backdrop, banners, print and digital ads
- A whole lot of fun had by all!
