Educating the Community on the Importance of Healthy Eating
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
- Hippocrates
At the heart of our mission, we truly believe that food is medicine and what we eat is core to our health and healing.
We involve hundreds of clients, their caregivers, and teen and adult volunteers in our Meals 4 Health and Healing education each year.
We also enjoy collaborative relationships with various cancer clinics, oncology professionals, schools, and dietetic programs through referrals, nutrition presentations, integrated nutrition classes, cooking demos, and health fairs to deepen our "food is medicine" reach.
Learn to make Eggplant Parmesan with Zucchini Noodles with Chef Juan while he breaks down a Green Door Gourmet CSA. Garden Manager, Missy and Nutrition Educator, Lexy provide tips on growing tomatoes and nutritional education. Food Connections is part of the Meals 4 Health and Healing education series.
Educational Resources
We recognize that cancer treatment often comes with extreme nutrition-related difficulties. This infographic provides some helpful tips on maintaining or gaining weight when needed, with high calorie nutrient-dense foods that will aid in the healing process.
Meals for Health and Healing Food Cards
Follow us on social media for ongoing nutrition education materials! If you have any questions regarding nutrition, please email our nutrition educator at nutrition@hfmeals.org
Education Partnerships
The Heimerdinger Foundation partners with many of the cancer care providers in the Middle Tennessee area including St. Thomas Cancer Care, Sarah Cannon, Tennessee Oncology, and Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. We do this through classes, cooking demonstrations, and outreach opportunities. We have built relationships with Nurse Navigators in each of the major cancer care centers in the area. Nurse Navigators are a first-line referral source for cancer patients to our program and we value our relationship with them. We also have worked with cancer support resources like Gilda’s Club as well as local nutritionists. We have a robust dietician internship program through Vanderbilt University and Lipscomb University in which interns learn about our program, help prepare meals and conduct special projects as needed. We are building relationships and collaborations with Tennessee State University and Meharry Medical Center. We also have relationships with local public and private high schools and home-schooled groups for recruitment for the Teen Program. We work with community nonprofits such as Hands on Nashville and The Woman’s Club of Nashville for volunteers, and the Center for Nonprofit Management to utilize their classes and consultants.
