LEWISTON — “Healthy Eating = Quality of Life” is the topic of a four-part series being presented in September by Central Maine Medical Center’s executive chef Oleg Opalnyk.

When the healthy eating series was offered earlier this year, public response was overwhelming. As a result, the program format was expanded and an extra session was added.

The two September series will each consist of four two-hour classes. Opalynk says by extending each class to two hours, the series will offer “much more hands on cooking experience.”

“Healthy Eating = Quality of Life” highlights the basics for making meals that are both tasty and nutritious, focusing on vegetarian fare that is filling and satisfying.

Individual classes will focus on particular aspects of healthy eating, especially the use of various grains and vegetable proteins. The series will also include a class about healthy desserts. The concluding session will focus on a “grocery tour” that will provide practical information about purchasing the ingredients for healthy food that satisfies.

“High quality ingredients and simple preparation can produce exceptional meals,” said Opalnyk. “And if you want to eat less meat in an effort to make alternative nutritional, environmental, or ethical dietary choices, a vegetarian approach can be very useful.”

“Whatever your reasons for introducing a more vegetarian element to your diet, it’s got to taste good,” Opalnyk says. The series of classes will show participants how to turn a meat-filled recipe into a vegetarian delight with simple substitutions — including tofu, beans, nuts, and grains – that can make “crowd pleasing” vegetarian dishes.

Vegetarian cuisine, he says, can help people reduce their cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and better manage their weight.

Opalnyk, who recently joined the CMMC Food Service management staff, has introduced a number of well-received changes to the hospital’s menu. His specialties include vegan and vegetarian dishes fused with world cuisine influences.

During his five years as chef at Parkview Adventist Medical Center in Brunswick, Opalnyk played a central role in the hospital’s Lifestyle Choices Program. Clinical testing demonstrated that those who participated in the Lifestyle Program experienced improvements in their health.

A native of Ukraine, Opalnyk spent his later youth in Moscow. He trained at The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, an affiliate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, also in Chicago. He has worked in Russia, Canada, Mexico and Belize, but settled in Maine in 2002 as kitchen manager at Freeport’sHaraseeket Inn. Prior to beginning his work in the healthcare setting, he was executive chef at Kristina’s Restaurant and Bakery in Bath and later at Bull Feeney’s in Portland.

The classes will be offered on Sept. 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 2 to 4 p.m. and on Sept. 6, 13, 20 and 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Sept. 4-25 series will begin in the Chairmen’s Rooms on the lower level of the 12 High Street Medical Office Building. The Sept. 6-27 series will begin in Chairmen’s Room C on the lower level of the 12 High Street Medical Office Building.

There will be a $25 fee for participating in either four-part series. The fee covers the cost of presenting the program, including the cost of food products.

Those interested in attending the classes are urged to register by calling 795-8448 or emailing prevention@cmhc.org

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