By: Ashmar Mandou

Mommy bloggers across the City of Chicago joined together last Thursday as UnitedHealthcare hosted an education seminar and cooking demonstration at Whole Foods in Lincoln Park to help educate Latinas on the importance of eating well and getting covered.

“Going into the community is the best part of my job and what sets UnitedHealthcare apart from other agencies,” said Carolina-Serrano-Gutierrez, spokesperson for UnitedHealthcare. “We make it our mission to not only talk about what benefit the Latino community, but we actually go into communities across the country and have a conversation about what is on their mind. We talk about their needs, how to access certain resources, and the benefits of living a healthy and happy life.”

UnitedHealthcare hosted educational seminars and cooking demonstrations in Chicago and Aurora to help Latinos, especially seniors about the benefits of Medicare and their health care coverage options. After each seminar, a cooking demonstration led by Chef Fernanda Chacón occurs to help Latinos learn how to prepare tasty Latin dessert, but with a healthier twist.

Last week, UnitedHealthcare and Chef Chacón hosted an event at Whole Foods to boost ways to live a healthier by connecting with Latina mommy bloggers across the city. “One of the most important ways we connect with our communities is reaching out to the moms of every community. They are the head of the household, mothers keep families together, they get information out there,” said Serrano. Among the bloggers was mother of four and Puerto Rican native, Michelle Figueroa, who blogs about her experiences of caring for four children and what type of healthy recipes is delicious and fun for the whole family. “With four children it is quite difficult to have elaborate meals on a daily basis, first I don’t have the time [laughs] and second we are on a tight budget,” said Figueroa. “So I am happy that I can attend an event like this and talk with other bloggers and learn about living healthy.”

Chef Chacón shared a healthier twist on an old favorite, Rice Pudding. Chacón not only discussed healthy alternatives to favorite meals, but reiterated the importance of continuing to eat healthy. “Often times the solution is simple,” said Chacón. “It’s easy to substitute health alternatives. Instead of using whole milk, families can use almond milk or coconut milk. For sweetness, use agave nectar instead of sugar. Eating healthy should not be a stressful time. Visit your local farmers market or head to your grocery store and just begin to substitute healthy options. We need to begin eating healthy now so we can live longer and our children can be healthier.” Upcoming events include:

May 15, 2014, 2:00pm, at Aurora Public Library 555 S. Eola Road Aurora, IL 60504

May 16, 2014, 11:00am, at Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 605 North Broadway Aurora, IL 60505