CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Community Nutrition Expansion Project (CNEP) will be partnering with the Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake to conduct nutrition classes.

Each class will cover a different nutrition topic and there will be food demos and tasting to go along with each topic.

Physical activity will also be included in every class.

American culture today is centered largely on convenience and overconsumption.

One of the most frequent areas that we find convenience is in our packaged and processed food. Unfortunately, these foods are far too often high in fat, sodium, and sugar and low in vital nutrients.

Diets high in these kinds of foods can lead to an assortment of chronic diseases and can also be expensive.

The goal of CNEP is to educate our community about the importance of healthy food, especially fruit and vegetables, and physical activity in order to give Lake County residents the tools they need to live a healthy life on a tight budget.

If you are interested in participating in this class please sign up at Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake at 3245 Bowers Road or by phone at 707-994-3051; all ages are welcome.

The class schedule and topics are as follows:

• Thursday, May 24, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: My Plate.
• Thursday, June 28, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Protein.
• Thursday, July 26, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Grains.
• Thursday, August 23, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Fruit and vegetables.
• Thursday, Sept. 27, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Dairy.

Tonia Winkle is the outreach worker for the Community Nutrition Expansion Project and holds a bachelor’s degree in health science from California State University, Chico.