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Classes aim to hook US blacks on African foods

By WTOP Staff

JAY REEVES
Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Rickey Dorsey knows he doesn’t have the best diet, and his plump belly proves it.

“I’m definitely used to a lot of fried food and sweets,” the Birmingham man said. “And sweet tea.”

Dorsey, 53, is trying to change that. He is among about 500 people across the United States who have participated in a program to learn about cooking fresh foods based on traditional African cuisine.

Aimed at blacks but open to anyone, the “Taste of African Heritage” classes are sponsored by the Boston-based nonprofit Oldways, which promotes healthier eating through traditional foods. Sessions are held nationwide to encourage people to skip burger joints and processed meals and get comfortable in the kitchen cooking fresh food.

In a world of cheeseburgers and fried chicken, participants are learning to use ingredients such as beans, greens, rice, grains, vegetables and spices that are common in traditional African dishes.

Foods are seasoned with things like ginger, allspice and curry rather than salt or lard, and meat servings are small and lean. Ingredients are sauteed, steamed or quickly boiled in pots with small amounts of oil; no breading or flour on a chicken thighs or onions, for example.

After only a few weeks attending a class at a church in downtown Birmingham, Dorsey said he’s already lost a few pounds and has more confidence about what and how to cook.

“It was so interesting learning about the African culture,” he said.

Classmate Sharon Reid, 54, said she’s heard of ingredients like raw ginger for years but didn’t know what to do with them.

“This is fresh stuff,” she said with an assortment of peas and beans spread on a table nearby. “And they teach you how to eat and to cut back on all the salt and stuff.”

Formed in 1990, Oldways emphasizes traditional, plant-based diets like those from the Mediterranean region, Asia and Latin America over the processed items common in many American homes and restaurants. Following a pilot program held in 2012 for the African classes, the organization last year began using a $250,000 grant from Walmart to offer six-session classes across the country.

African cooking classes have been held in San Francisco, New York and Washington, D.C., as well as smaller cities including Fayetteville, North Carolina; Jasper, Georgia; and Danville, Virginia.

The sessions are targeted primarily at blacks, who suffer disproportionate rates of obesity, strokes, diabetes, heart disease and other ailments often linked to diet. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 35 percent of Americans are obese, blacks have the highest rates at nearly 48 percent.

Fifty of 150 planned courses already have been completed, and many participants are seeing measurable results, said Oldways president Sara Baer-Sinnott. Baer-Sinnott said that of 240 people who have completed personal evaluations, 66 percent lost weight, 38 percent had a decrease in blood pressure and 55 percent lost inches from their waist.

Linking healthy dietary practices with ethnic foods seems to be working, she said, and the classes will continue into 2015.

“We’re designing this so that one of the motivators is heritage,” she said. “We’re finding that it resonates with people.”

But anyone can benefit from eating the foods that are from the African culinary heritage, said Mandy Willig, a dietitian and assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who is serving as a volunteer instructor.

“(The course) is designed exactly to show us that the actual African heritage consisted of lots of fruits and vegetables, of grains,” she said. “It was a very low sodium diet that relied on a lot of herbs and spices to actually provide the extra flavor.”

The courses are free. After listening to a brief lecture, students practice cutting up carrots and chopping onions. Afterward, they eat together.

“The first thing we really want them to do is to just get in the kitchen more often,” Willig said. “If you do that, above and beyond anything else, you’re going to be healthier.”

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Follow AP writer Jay Reeves at https://twitter.com/Jay_Reeves

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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