Cooking healthy meals can be difficult, especially when you’re pinching pennies.

In an effort to give back to the community and promote healthy eating, Eat Seattle founder and chef Liz McCune and fellow chef Bella Sangar (Holy Cow founder, teacher at Hot Stove Society and Pike Place’s Market Atrium) have teamed up, offering free classes that teach families in need about simple and afforable nutrition. The inaugural class is today: Wednesday, July 6. 

“This is important to us, and it should be important to everyone,” McCune says. “We believe as chefs, we have the unique ability to teach both basic nutrition and cooking efficiency, and allow the home cook to make liberating food choices for the rest of the family. In a world where even pasta sauces have sugar additives, home cooks raising families need every bit of help we can give them.”

Chef Bella Sangar and Eat Seattle’s Liz McCune.

The duo met when Sangar acted as a guest chef for Eat Seattle, and when Sangar came up with the idea for free cooking classes, it was an easy yes for McCune.

“It’s a great cause and we both have the knowledge to make this a special class packed full of useful information,” McCune says. “We are equally motivated to make a difference.”

The classes, which take place in Pike Place Market’s commercial Atrium Kitchen on the ground level of the Economy Building, are divided into three main parts: kitchen basics, like knife skills and food safety; meal planning, including how to prep and shop for healthy food for the week; and cooking, including learning recipes and incorporating fruits and vegetables into dishes.

“Teaching nutrition in an approachable way, with flexible options does empower,” McCune says.

The duo hopes to offer the class quarterly, affording more families the opportunity to learn in the skills-based classes.

“It’s hard to say what this will look like in a year but between our passion for the cause and expertise on the subject matter I’m confident that we will be making a positive impact in our community,” McCune says. “That’s what matters.”