One by one, Lynda Roman pulled fresh vegetables from her grocery bags as residents at Village at Sierra gathered around to learn how to make vegetarian paella.
Lynda chopped and added each ingredient to the pan while demonstrating safe cutting techniques, explaining each step and offering substitutions based on their tastes.
Lynda, a Hope through Housing service coordinator, leads monthly cooking classes at four National CORE senior communities in Fontana: Plaza at Sierra, Gardens at Sierra, Village at Sierra and Fountains at Sierra.
At Village at Sierra, Sharon, 63, rarely misses a class. She saves each recipe, recreates the dishes at home and often reports back to Lynda about how they turned out.
“Watching somebody cook so easily gives you the confidence to go and do it yourself,” Sharon said.
Healthy eating becomes especially important with age. Older adults often need fewer calories but still need nutrient-rich foods to support healthy aging, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Lynda said many residents spent years cooking for their families but now cook for themselves. She keeps that in mind when planning each class, choosing simple recipes with fewer ingredients to help keep costs down.
“I always make it healthy on a budget because I know they’re on a limited income,” Lynda said.
The classes also encourage residents to try new foods. Linda, 71, said the recipes have introduced her to ingredients she had never tried before.
“This keeps me more open to taste other types of food that I never had,” Linda said. “I just discovered I like artichokes.”
For Lynda, the classes combine her passion for cooking with her work serving residents.
“I love helping people, and cooking is something I love to do,” Lynda said. “Being able to bring those together and help residents with their nutrition and creativity makes this one of my favorite parts of what I do.”
