By Ben Steelman, Wilmington Star-News
How do you fix lunch for a hundred or so fellow worshipers at your hometown church – and still keep the dishes low in calories, salt and cholesterol?
The N.C. Council of Churches might have the answer to your problem.
The Raleigh-based council just issued “Recipes for the Heart and Soul: A Guide to Cooking Healthily in Large Quantities.” The 42-page cookbook can be downloaded from the group’s website, www.nccouncilofchurches.org. (Click on “Health and Wellness” under the “Programs” header.) Bound copies may also be purchased for $7 each, said program associate Willona Stallings, with discounts for bulk orders and for those who pick up their copies in person.
“It’s actually a new initiative for us,” said Stallings, who works with the council’s “Partners in Health and Wellness” program. The group began the project under grants from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and the BlueCross/BlueShield of North Carolina Foundation.
Since Jesus Christ dedicated His life to healing the sick and comforting the downcast, Stallings noted, the council felt the call to help people of faith lead healthier lives. Churches cook a lot of meals, so helping them prepare health-conscious meals in bulk seemed a logical response.
Samara Jo Nielsen, an intern from Duke Divinity School, set to work compiling recipes. The website www.RecipesForACrowd.com was a major source, Stallings said, but some recipes came from individual congregations such as Hayes Barton United Methodist Church in Raleigh.
