The nonprofit Oldways is pleased to announce that its 6-week healthy cooking curriculum, A Taste of African Heritage, was just admitted in the SNAP-Ed Toolkit as an evidence-based intervention.

"This is a great development, because it will open more doors for more SNAP-Ed-implementing agencies to use A Taste of African Heritage," said Kelly LeBlanc, MLA, RD, LDN

A Taste of African Heritage, first launched in 2012, is based on healthy plant foods (like leafy greens, whole grains, and beans) from across the African Diaspora. For 10 years, this curriculum has brought to light a culinary legacy and the often-unsung cultural ownership of healthy eating for people of African descent that is depicted in the African Heritage Diet Pyramid. It was designed by Oldways in collaboration with an expert committee of nutrition scientists and culinary historians, including award-winning culinary historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris and Harvard School of Public Health nutrition scientist Dr. Walter Willett.

Recently, a new article published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior concluded that participants of A Taste of African Heritage experienced improvements in weight, systolic blood pressure, and waist size, as well as higher intake of fruit, vegetables, greens, and higher frequency of exercise. And 98 percent of participants in this new study reported that heritage was a motivator for change.