Our cooking club meets every other month with new classes that help our neighbors on their health walks. Of course, it’s not the only way you can learn about plant-based cooking. There are shows you might watch on cable TV, you could take a course at a community college, or you could pick up a cookbook and work your way through it.

Why a community cooking club? Here are 5 reasons why I think this is a fantastic opportunity you can’t find elsewhere.

1. You become part of a healthy community.

It’s a place where you will find people like you who want to ditch the status quo and find greater health and healing one bite at a time. You need encouragement and support when you’re branching out to a new lifestyle. Let’s face it–Everywhere you turn, you’re bombarded with the standard American diet (S.A.D.)–food that’s loaded with fat, sugar, preservatives and overly processed. But at a cooking club, you find you’re not alone. You’ve got friends who are eating the same way you are–choosing more vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains. Passing on that Big Mac or that 2nd piece of cheesecake–learning to love food that loves you back. A community club is a great way to connect and find the support you need.

2.  You discover there’s a better way.

How can I possibly live without meat? or butter? I remember when I was growing up, the only way I knew how to eat vegetables was to smother them with margarine or butter.  I couldn’t imagine another way to cook. It’s all I knew. And my tastebuds seemed programmed to want that butter anytime I sat down to eat.

But at a cooking club, I learn there’s a better way. I’ve tasted vegetables that are just as tasty as the ones I grew up with, but without the added fat and cholesterol. I learn how powerful my food choices can be in reversing heart disease and diabetes. I learn how my meals are connected to all these mood swings I’m going through or why I’m not sleeping well at night. I learn that health doesn’t come just by chance. It’s by choice. And I make my own health by what I put on my plate.

3.  You can taste for yourself.

It’s one thing to see a picture or a fast-paced video on how to make a black bean lasagna. But it’s quite another thing when you can taste it yourself. You can discover how making a few changes can help you enjoy some of your favorite foods–without the fat or with a more natural sweetness.  You can also sample many new dishes at a cooking club and discover how great they really are.

What do you do with tofu? Do you eat it right out of the package? Or do you season it with many herbs and spices? Can you chop it up and add it to a stir-fry or a stew? Can you use it to make creamy sauces or even a cheese topping for your macaroni? You can find out when you taste it for yourself at a cooking club.

4.  You can learn easy tips on how to eat better at home or out on the road.

Some people learn best when someone shows them how. Reading a recipe can be a hurdle. But if you watch someone make that dish, all of a sudden a light goes on. And you say, “I can do that! That looks easy enough!” Then you go home, all excited, and make the same dish taste as good as the one you had at cooking club. And that’s where the excitement begins.

Have you ever thought, “I don’t like spinach”?  I used to have a friend that always said that. But one day for a church potluck, I made some vegetarian burgers. And I sneaked in some spinach. I covered them with a low-fat gravy and served them up. And guess who asked for seconds? Did I dare to tell him that he was eating spinach?

Sometimes we can learn to like a new food through a new recipe. And that’s what can happen at a cooking club.

5.  Your health can turn around.

I’m so glad that our health is not something that is set in concrete. It can be turned around. I don’t have to stay 30 pounds overweight. I don’t have to  always remain a diabetic.

Several years ago, I went to the eye doctor, only to discover that I had the beginning of macular degeneration in one of my eyes. My doctor put me on eye vitamins, which includes lutein and zeaxanthin. She also encouraged me to eat more greens. When I got home, I did some reading on my own. I wondered if there were other foods that were good for eye health. I made a chart, put it up in my kitchen, and every day, I would pick foods from my list to eat. I still took my vitamins but I also chose to eat a better way.

After a year, i returned to the eye specialist and she was so surprised by what she found. There was no growth in the macular degeneration. And my vision had improved. I had to get a new prescription for my glasses! She could hardly believe it! All because I was making better food choices for my eyes.

I’ve known people who have reversed heart disease, type 2 diabetes, lupus, even MS by a new way of eating. And that’s what a cooking club can do. Even if you’re not battling with disease, you’ll find more energy and calmer nerves. Your memory can improve. There are so many perks you’ll discover when you’re a part of a plant-based cooking club.