Whole & Natural Foods
Cooking Co-Op & Support Group

This group is for people who have discovered the value of whole and natural foods in their lives and want to support each other to eat in way that is healthy, nurtures the body and the earth, and tastes good!
How can we have more community, joy, efficiency, health, and fun regarding cooking and eating? My intention is that this group will create community in cooking, happiness through meeting with others, an understanding of food and cooking, and (possibly) save members money.
This group is for:
• Great cooks who would like to share their love and knowledge through sharing meals
• Anyone who would like to have a break from cooking!
• People who would like to get out of the house and have more community experiences
• Busy people who want to eat better but find it hard to cook for themselves
• People tired of eating at the Whole Foods Market salad bar!
• People who want to eat food they enjoy AND feel is right
You might join this group if you are a person eager to convert from the unhealthy “Standard American Diet,” SAD, to something more natural and healthy, or if you have already made that conversion.
I mean the conversion many of us have made, and that authorities in the field of health and ecology recommend: changing one’s diet from one that contains much meat and sugar, processed foods, and unnatural non-foods, to something healthier, containing whole and natural foods. We will be cooking and eating a great variety of vegetables, plus whole grains, whole grain products, legumes, seeds, nuts, fruits! Organic where possible. Some will cook vegan or vegetarian; others will include fish; and some will cook mammal meat, but of higher quality and less cruelty than what we may have grown up with.
Here is my vision and some of my ideas:

• Cooking co-op for N.Cambridge/Arlington/Lexington/Belmont area. We’ll make subgroups that work, in terms of location and preferred way of eating.

• People who eat in a similar way will cook for each other. For example, every Monday, one member of a subgroup cooks for all, or two people do, or a group does; and people are welcome to eat in or take out. Say there are 8 members in one co-op. These 8 people/families rotate who cooks. You are welcome or expected to join in the food 7 out of 8 nights, and to cook 1 out of 8 nights. Maybe the group would do this 3 weeknights per week. Maybe just once a week. Start anywhere!

• Or start with just one potluck. Or a couple members could choose to cook with each other, learn from each other, etc. Over time, it will become clear what works and what doesn’t, and where you like to eat, versus not, and so on. The group will evolve.

• We could give and attend classes or have sharing times to help newcomers. Perhaps we will invite speakers who could share their philosophy and methods of healthy eating.

The first step is to join the group. Briefly state your food preferences, what you’d like to contribute, and how you’d like to be served! See my example at the bottom of this group description.

I would like to hear your ideas. Please join if you are interested and we’ll figure out our next steps together.
Also, see my related group and join if you like:
http://www.meetup.com/HOLISTIC-HEALTH-SPEAKER-SERIES-AND-...
--Paul Gerzon of Arlington, Massachusetts

My check-in:
I’m looking to sometimes share meals with other people who like mostly cooked foods, with some raw. I eat mostly grains, vegetables, legumes, with occasional fish. I love desserts, but won’t eat them if they’re made with sugar or other sweetener I consider unhealthy. I’m a pretty good cook and can offer guidance in how to eat whole and natural. I like macrobiotic cooking the most, if done with creativity and vision, but enjoy anything cooked with care and healthy ingredients. I choose to be dairy-free for the most part (except occasionally, to be social or for pleasure); I eat naturally, rather than overly- or unnaturally-processed foods, modern non-foods, or products/dishes containing sugar or MSG or high fructose corn syrup. I prefer sea salt over regular salt.