Brooklyn Food and Family Day Oct. 1st

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Lots of fun and free grub at Food and Family Day in Bedford-Stuyvesant

By Sujatha Raman Snyder

After six months of planning, Food and Family day Bed-Stuy is here!!

Saturday October 1st turn out for a day chockfull of free healthy food, fun exercise demonstrations, local farm tours, free medical and nutrition talks and more.

“Too often we identify vegetables in their canned form” says Melissa Lee, Managing Director of the Coalition for the Improvement of Bedford-Stuyvesant (CIBS). “We hope that the free demonstrations, tours and giveaways will show participants where to find fresh, organic products in the neighborhood and how to prepare healthy and balanced meals that taste delicious.” One of the many highlights includes “Bringing the Farmer’s Market home,” a full bodied workshop that includes a guided shopping trip to the Farmer’s market to learn and select fresh vegetables, followed by a hands on cooking lesson and sampling. Participants will receive HealthBucks for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene worth $4 towards their purchases.

“Cultivating healthy eating habits starts young,” says Melissa. New mothers looking for healthy options for their babies will learn to cook fresh, organic, baby foods at the workshop “Go Farm Fresh, Baby!” led by a community chef from Just Foods, Inc.

After the tasty, free hot lunch of vegetarian sloppy joes and coleslaw prepared by Chissy’s Cooking Club, check out the exercise demonstrations outdoors on West Plaza at Restoration. The fun and popular Zumba class led by instructors from the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA will run from 12 noon to 1 pm while Brooklyn Partnership to Drive Down Diabetes, BP3D, will hold fitness classes from 2 to 3:30pm. While you learn new and fun ways to get the heart pumping and slenderize the waist, the kids can join the community mural food mapping group from 10 am to 4 pm or the kids gardening group, 12 noon to 4 pm.

Ever shopped at FoodTown, the giant supermarket at Restoration Plaza? The grocers will host store tours starting every half hour from 1 pm to 4 pm, with staff pointing out locations of fresh and organic foods in various departments and suggesting healthy options at the deli and meat departments. You will leave with a goodie bag of tasty, healthy treats. Or if you’re feeling the need for nature, a farm tour awaits. Sign up for a tour of Hattie Carthan Farmer’s market on Tompkins and Clifton where they grow vegetables and herbs, rear chickens in the back and bake their own bread.

“Food and Family day is a result of numerous planning meetings with input from almost 30 community groups,” says Aysu Kirac, Associate, CIBS. “ Their feedback allowed us to come up with a fun, varied and dynamic day that we hope residents of all ages will enjoy, and take advantage of. For example, the Bedford-Stuyvesant Family Health Center will be holding free health check-ups on diabetes and hypertension in the lobby of Restoration Plaza. Those interested in a career or business in restaurants will have the opportunity to hear keynote speakers Craig Samuels of Peaches Restaurant and Cheryl of Cheryl’s Global Soul.”

Round off a day of free food, workshops, tips and samples with DJ J Arbonne, who will be spinning music all day.

For more information, contact [email protected] or go to www.cibsbedstuy.org/events/food-summit

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