Want to Lose Weight? Learn to Cook!
By
Meghan Vivo
October 23, 2008
The last thing most families want to do after a long day at work or school is cook a meal. Do I have all the ingredients? What can I stir up in 30 minutes or less? How do I placate everyone’s finicky taste buds? Most importantly, how do I make a nutritious meal that actually tastes good?
It can be costly and fattening to feast on restaurant meals or microwave dinners multiple times a week. The better practice, and one recommended by the world’s top weight loss programs and experts, is to get the whole family involved in learning to cook your own home-made delicacies.
“Meal time at home doesn’t have to be boring and routine,” says Amy Bauserman, a nutrition counselor and program supervisor at Wellspring Adventure Camp in North Carolina. “At Wellspring, we introduce campers to a variety of foods to liven up any meal and interesting ways to prepare them. As long as they’re eating healthier versions of restaurant foods in appropriate portions, they can lose weight and still enjoy their favorite dinners.”
Bauserman, who has a bachelor’s degree in health science and is working on a master’s degree in human nutrition, teaches nutrition and culinary classes at Wellspring in an effort to introduce new options to young people struggling with their weight. Young people learn about fats, protein, fiber, and carbohydrates and the way each substance is broken down in the body, as well as which foods fuel the body to function at its best.
Sara Jamieson, the base program manager at Wellspring Adventure Camp in North Carolina, takes a practical approach to working with young people with weight issues. Looking at how nutrition, diet, and culinary skills affect life at home, campers learn about these important subjects through hands-on experience, not just abstract book learning.
With a master’s degree in health nutrition and years of experience in the field, Jamieson knows that this is a critical time to start reaching out to young people and educating them about healthy living. She explains that most campers have been on multiple diets many times over, and are just learning at camp how to identify and avoid dangerous habits.
“We encourage campers to take charge of their own program while they’re still young and not too set in their ways,” she says. “Even if the rest of the family isn’t on board, kids can choose their own foods at the grocery store and cook their own meals, which gives them a leg up in college and beyond.”
Getting Comfortable in the Kitchen
Although Wellspring is a weight loss camp and campers do lose weight there, the focus is on providing young people with knowledge and skills that will follow them into adulthood. In an effort to provide campers with new tools for a healthy lifestyle, Wellspring offers culinary classes to each camper twice a week.
“Some of these kids have never cooked before, so we give them practical skills and recipes they can use at home,” states Bauserman. “Many are shocked that they can eat some of their favorite meals, including blueberry pancakes (fat-free) and omelets (with egg beaters and fat-free cheese) while still sticking to the program.”
According to Jessie Arsenault, a head counselor at Wellspring Camp in Hawaii and a former Wellspring camper herself, the staff members are excellent role models that prove the program is manageable and sustainable, and the food is outstanding. “No one could come here and not like the food,” she says confidently. “I eat so well, I’ve been inspired for the first time in my life to go home and cook.”
In the culinary classroom, campers learn about measurements and conversions, kitchen safety, and how to use spices to enhance flavor. With staff members who are excited about making cooking fun, campers learn how to make simple but smart meal choices. For example, the kids are encouraged to choose egg whites, lean turkey, or skinless chicken breasts instead of red meat or fried alternatives. They use nonstick cooking spray instead of butter or oil and low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and substitute pureed fruits or vegetables for butter in their recipes.
“Culinary class is an important part of the program for young people who are just learning their way around a kitchen and who, in a few short years, will be making their own decisions about what to buy and how to prepare it,” notes Bauserman.
Young people leave Wellspring well-acquainted with the kitchen and with low-fat cooking. They have a book of recipes, many of which they’ve practiced making at camp, and many of which their parents have been practicing cooking while their child was away. Some camp favorites are the grilled portobello mushroom and pineapple with marinade and the kickin’ chicken wrap.
As Wellspring campers learn new skills, address their emotional issues, eat right, and exercise regularly, their parents receive the same tools their children are using so they can share the experience with their kids. Parents receive literature about the Wellspring approach, a pedometer to monitor their activity levels, and a self-monitoring journal to track their food, exercise, and emotions. They are also invited to a 2-day parent workshop where they meet with Wellspring therapists, learn more about the program, and participate in their own culinary and nutrition classes.
Choosing the Right Ingredients
In addition to learning how to cook, it is essential for those inspired to lose weight to choose the right ingredients.
At Wellspring, nutrition experts take young people on off-campus “grocery store challenges.” Campers are challenged to pick one of their favorite unhealthy snacks they used to eat and a health-friendly snack which will be their treat for the day. Counselors are standing by to teach campers to read labels and make healthy substitutions for old favorites.
For example, a favorite treat among many kids is Cheetos, so the counselors encourage them to find an item that is crunchy with a similar flavor, but with less fat and calories. Most campers then gravitate toward cheddar-flavored pretzels that have no fat and only 100 calories per serving, and are surprised to find that they’re satisfied with the lighter snack. Other common substitutions are low-fat ice cream sandwiches, angel food cake with strawberries and light whipped cream, plain baked potato chips, or low-fat devil’s food cookies.
“Reading food labels and for the first time understanding what they’re putting in their bodies is an eye-opening experience for some of our campers,” says Bauserman. “Once they see the benefits of making different choices, the kids tend to be very receptive to the idea of healthy replacements. When they try something new that they like, they can’t wait to write down the name of the product and ask their parents to add it to the grocery list when they get home.”
Preparing for the Alternative: Dining Out
On the rare occasion when a home-made meal isn’t an option, experts recommend that people looking to lose weight have a plan for dining out healthfully.
Wellspring campers take part in “restaurant challenges” to prepare for these sometimes tricky occasions. The young people travel to a neighboring restaurant like Applebee’s or Chili’s and are challenged to make healthy substitutions, ask questions about how foods are prepared, and limit themselves to an appropriate portion. Instead of fearing the restaurant experience, counselors empower the kids to identify where fat comes from in each item (such as the bacon, cheese, croutons, and fattening dressings on salads) and to be confident in making special requests.
“The restaurant challenge can be a struggle because of the smells and the temptation of seeing other people eating unhealthy foods,” notes Bauserman. “We leave the decision to them as to what they’ll order and how much they’ll eat. If a camper overeats or splurges on fattening foods, they often leave the restaurant saying, ‘I’m never eating off-program again, I feel miserable right now.’ And that’s all the lesson they need.”
These cooking and nutrition challenges create opportunities for young weight controllers to test their knowledge and will power and learn from any mistakes they make while they’re still living in the structured, supportive environment of weight loss camp. If campers hadn’t experienced a “light bulb moment” before these challenges, most are certain to have one as their skills are put to the test.
“I love teaching these kids to love their bodies and treat them with respect, but more than that, I love knowing we’re changing these kids for the rest of their lives,” says Bauserman. “As I see them grow and change through the program, they start to look me in the eye with confidence, and I know they’re well on their way.”
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