Advocate Health Care’s first teaching kitchen opens

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital is supporting healthier living with the launch of a teaching kitchen focused on nutrition education and wellness.

The space is the first of its kind within the Advocate Health Care system and is designed to extend nutrition guidance beyond hospital walls through hands-on cooking experiences, officials said.

“Nutrition and lifestyle changes can play an important role in managing chronic conditions and improving health outcomes,” said Dr. Lori Walsh, an integrative medicine physician at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington. “This unique program helps patients put that guidance into practice by learning how to prepare meals they can use at home to support their care.”

The Advocate Good Shepherd Teaching Kitchen, located at 27546 W. Illinois Route 22 in Lake Barrington, will provide patients, caregivers and community members with in-person and virtual cooking and nutrition classes designed to turn healthy eating guidance into everyday habits. The initiative builds on the hospital’s broader “Food as Medicine” efforts, including the Smart Farm, Food Farmacy and other community wellness programs that expand access to nutrition education and resources, according to a news release.

A chef, registered dietitians and clinical experts at the kitchen will offer interactive cooking demonstrations, nutrition education classes, wellness workshops focused on prevention and chronic disease management, including heart health, diabetes, weight management and cancer survivorship nutrition.

“We believe health extends far beyond the hospital,” said Dasha Gorkov, chief operating officer of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. “The Teaching Kitchen provides a welcoming space where people can build confidence in preparing healthy meals, learn practical nutrition strategies and gain skills that support lifelong wellness. It is an important extension of our commitment to improving the health of the communities we serve.”

To sign up for a class, visit AdvocateHealth.com/classes-events.