Cooking with your BAS

by Senior Airman David Bernal Del Agua
22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

4/17/2015 - MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Give an Airman a pizza, and he eats for a day. Teach an Airman to cook, and he'll eat for a lifetime.

The 22nd Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness Center sponsored the first Teach an Airman to Cook class taught by Maribeth Havran, 22nd Medical Group health promotion dietitian, April 15.

The goal of the class was to guide Airmen through the process of buying food all the way to cooking it.

"This class is intended to teach Airmen who haven't previously had experience cooking on their own," said Havran. "We're trying to give them the knowledge to know how to cook healthfully for themselves on a tight budget."

The class taught nutrition as well as how to pick the right foods to cook and eat during a base commissary tour.

"One of the most important things I learned was to sit down and plan out my meals so I know what to cook throughout the week," said Airman 1st Class Shaunte Levine, 22nd Comptroller Squadron financial management technician. "This class taught me how to be self-sufficient and more mature for when I'm ready to move out of the dorms."

Utilizing the basic allowance for sustenance to its maximum potential was one of the primary focuses of the class.

Airmen moving out of the dorms receive an allowance of about $360 a month, which amounts to about $90 a week. The class helped prepare a weekly budget with healthy alternatives.

"This is a smart way to learn how to budget your money," said Levine. "I used to go to the grocery store and spend too much money on things I didn't need, now I know better."

The final part of the class was a hands-on training session where the Airmen learned how to cook the food they bought during the commissary tour.

"We're trying to take out the mystery of cooking," said Havran. "People overthink both nutrition and cooking, making it harder than it really is. We simplified it."

The A&FRC plans to offer the class every quarter to allow Airmen more chances to familiarize themselves with kitchen basics and other useful information.

For more information about the class call Maribeth Havran at (316) 759-6150.