Cooking with the MUTTON-HF program in Gallup, N.M.

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October 21, 2025

By Alaina K. Yazzie

“What do you think about when you hear the term "nutritious food"?”

Denee asked the group of participants in a recent cooking class presentation. Among the participants, responses varied from listing the barriers of acquiring nutritious foods such as affordability to the inexperience of preparing nutritious foods. Throughout the conversation, one common denominator was that accessibility to nutritious food was an issue.

While sparkling water and fruits are passed around the group table, I prepared for a lecture on eating more fruits and vegetables. I was in for a surprise. “Health goals are different, health status is different, and individual situations are different.” I am hearing that the barriers are real and are a daily reality of many lives. Denee goes on to say nutritious food does not have to be expensive, organic or all plants. She expressed the importance of nutrients in all forms of food, not just fresh, but frozen and even canned food. Starting small because small changes add up and committing to what is achievable in behavior change is important in any plan to improve one’s health. Among the topic of making changes is changing the stigma associated with things like boring diet and exercise. Denee would go on to suggest we instead create, “joyful movement and joyful eating in our daily lives”. Do what will make you happy and will fulfill your inner peace. Identify stressors and find other ways to cope instead of using food in a negative or unjoyful way.

The presentation concluded in the kitchen, where the real fun began. Located in the Gallup Community Pantry is a full-service kitchen, where there were 5 cooking stations set up, each station equipped with burners, a sink, a preparation table and all the tools needed to cook. The smell of freshly brewed mint tea met us at the door and the feel of the warmth from the ovens invited us in. We paired up, read out the prepared recipe and split up tasks. We talked, laughed and cried over sliced onions as George Strait sang to us over a speaker creating an unbeatable cooking experience. The sense of community, leadership and encouragement would give our food further nourishment. Amongst the fun, a participant said, “us elderly get forgotten about, we don’t get to do fun stuff like this anymore.” I will carry this statement with me for the rest of my life.

On the menu, a well-paired duo of corn chowder and wild rice salad was prepared. The wild rice salad was sweet and hearty with the added rice and pinons. The corn chowder was a warm hug from the kitchen, with not a lot of spices added but still came out full of flavor. Its soft potatoes and beans fought for favorite with the sweet crunch of corn mixed in.

As we enjoyed the dishes, participants marveled at how easy that recipe was, how delicious it had come out and how fun that was. I asked the cooks how did your soup come out? Some said, “too many onions, when I make this at home I’m going to add less and add some minced garlic or squash.” I told them that it was a great idea, make it your own and adding more vegetables sounds awesome. As we closed the day at the pantry, I would leave full and happy to have gained some new information and a recipe to try with my family.

“Today was a great day full of hopefully helpful information to the MUTTON-HF participants. I’m grateful for the opportunity to teach my Navajo community about how to make small but impactful heart-healthy choices.” -Denee Bex

Not Medical Advice: The information provided does not constitute medical or nutritional advice for individual patients and should not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.