Live cooking demos, tastings and 50+ organization booths part of March 28 event.

If eating healthy has been on your New Year’s to-do list, but you still feel like you need a boost, a free community fair with cooking tips, demonstrations and tastings may be a good place to start.

We All Eat, a free hands-on community learning event, will be held 3 to 7 p.m. Thurs., March 28, at the Sedgwick County Extension Office, 7001 W. 21st St. Yes, it’s on the West Side – but no problem, Wichita Transit is offering free rides to the event from three east-side community centers.

This is a come-and-go event. More than 50 organizations and vendors will take part. There will also be door prizes and plenty of giveaways.

There will be live cooking demonstrations. Participants will be able to get tips, tools, tricks and tastings designed to inspire healthy eating.  Bring the kids, there will be activities for all ages.

The event is free, but organizers are gathering canned goods for the Kansas Food Bank – specifically canned tuna and chicken, fruit (in juice) and vegetables (low sodium).

We All Eat is sponsored by the Wichita State Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, the Health and Wellness Coalition of Wichita, the City of Wichita, and the Shocker Neighborhood Coalition.

For more information, contact LaShonda Garnes at 316-978-6834.

FREE TRANSPORTATION SCHEDULE TO WE ALL EAT

Wichita transit will pick up and drop off people from Colvin, Atwater, and Evergreen Neighborhood Resource Centers.  See the schedule below. 

In addition transit free day passes and trip planning assistance will be available for individuals needing return transportation to a location other than the three neighborhood centers. 

Pick-up and Drop-off Schedule

Colvin Neighborhood Resource Center, 2820 S. Roosevelt

Pick up: 2:15 p.m. / Drop off: 4:30 p.m.

Pick up: 5:25 p.m. / Drop off: 7:10 p.m.

Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center, 2755 E. 19th Street North

Pick up: 2:35 p.m. / Drop off: 4:30 p.m.

Pick up: 5:05 p.m. / Drop off: 7:10 p.m.

Evergreen Resource Center, 2700 N. Woodland

Pick up: 2:55 p.m. / Drop off: 4:30 p.m.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

1. Child Start Early Childhood Connections – healthy, child-friendly snack, resources on family style dining, child care and more
2. Healthy Green Nutrition LLC – ways to decrease sugar in the diet
3. Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas – activities on how diet affects mental health
4. State of Kansas Department for Children and Families – healthy recipes and ways to stretch SNAP dollars
5. Strong Roots Healthy Farming LLC – sampling scatterbrained tea and providing samples of homemade granola bars
6. Sunflower Health Plan – easy to prepare snack tasting
7. Wichita Public Library – fruit and veggie beanbag toss
8. Central Plains Area Agency on Aging – prevent T2 Diabetes Prevention Program
9. American Heart Association – rethink your drink and fruit infused water station
10. Sedgwick County Division of Health, WIC – kid friendly fruit and vegetables
11. Orie’s Farm Fresh– health benefits of garlic and offering garlic shots
12. Children’s Mercy Wichita – shopping smart to provide quick and healthy family meals
13. Bike Walk Wichita – biking and walking resources, encouraging people to use active transportation for running errands close to home
14. ICT Food Circle – produce ID quiz and learn about local food availability
15. K-State Research & Extension Therapeutic Master Gardeners – accessible gardening tools, herb plant giveaways
16. Wichita Dietetic Association – make your own low sodium spice blend and recipes to use the spice blend
17. Sedgwick County Farm Bureau – how farmers produce healthy food by caring for the environment, focusing on the importance of pollinators to agriculture and some ways farmers use biotechnology
18. K-State Research & Extension Compost Master Garden Committee – composting techniques, work composting and educating on food waste
19. K-State Research & Extension Community Gardens – promoting community gardening in Wichita
20. Health & Wellness Coalition – resources to promote good nutrition and fruit infused water station
21. Eat Real America – satisfy your sweet tooth with REAL food, snack ideas healthy enough to be breakfast and delicious enough to be dessert
22. Cooking Matters for Parents, Greater Wichita YMCA – grab-n-go snack idea and also share about the FREE Cooking Matters for Parents classes around the community
23. Wichita Dietetic Association – building a better breakfast
24. Premier Food Service – healthy snacks
25. Jr Chef Academy, Greater Wichita YMCA – kids can and should learn to cook! Swing by to hear from some Jr Chef’s
26. K-State Research & Extension – smoothie bike
27. Greater Wichita YMCA – the importance of eating healthy AND being physically active with a pickle ball demonstration
28. Kansas Grown Farmers’ Market – shopping and eating locally

 New organizations participating this year:

1. GraceMed Health Clinic – demonstrating the importance of drinking low sugar drinks
2. Wichita Transit – information, route maps, and trip planning to access healthy food
3. Pampered Chef – featuring tools to prep healthy meals
4. Graze the Prairie – samples of grass fed beef and lamb
5. Songbird Juice Company – juice samplings or a smoothie tasting
6. Active Wellness Solutions – educating on the importance of being well hydrated
7. Consuelo 4 Health – 12 incredible benefits of getting more greens in your diet
8. ICT Food Rescue
9. Serenity Farm – displaying fresh veggies in grow trays, sampling Swiss Chard Salad
10. Wichita Habitat for Humanity – interactive trivia game regarding budgeting for groceries
11. Davita– the hunger scale