Lesson 20: Cooking From Our Roots

Cooking is a ceremony of connection. In this lesson, learners explore how using traditional ingredients like bison, salmon, and wild rice in everyday meals not only improves health but also strengthens cultural identity.

Activity: Cook a meal using at least one traditional ingredient. Share a reflection, photo, or recipe card, and discuss how it fits into a diabetes-friendly approach.

Discussion Questions:

• How can cooking with traditional ingredients contribute to better diabetes management?
• What are some traditional cooking techniques that preserve the nutritional value of ingredients?
• How can healthcare providers encourage patients to incorporate traditional ingredients into their diets?
• What are the challenges of sourcing traditional ingredients, and how can these be addressed?
• How can community cooking programs help promote the use of traditional ingredients in diabetes-friendly meals?