Gwangju Nam-gu, Middle-aged and Older Men’s 'Nutrition Cooking Class' Popular

Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, is seeing a growing number of single-person households cooking for themselves, and a nutrition cooking class for middle-aged men in the district is gaining positive responses.

By learning cooking as a hobby, participants can not only alleviate the loneliness experienced by single-person households but also take care of their health.

According to the Juwol Health Living Support Center in Nam-gu on the 18th, the nutrition cooking class for middle-aged men has been held every Thursday since the 11th at the Gwangju University Hotel and Food Service Culinary Department practice room and the Gwangju Sharing Center.

This program is designed for middle-aged and older men living in Jinwol-dong and Hyodeok-dong. The Juwol Health Living Support Center organized this hands-on cooking class to improve the dietary habits of middle-aged men, including single-person households, residing in the area.

About 20 men in their 40s to 70s participate in the nutrition cooking class, many of whom live alone.

The reason they attend the cooking class is that they want to have balanced meals at home, but they face difficulties practicing a healthy lifestyle due to a lack of cooking skills and information about healthy diets.

Additionally, through the process of learning to cook, they want to form close bonds with other single-person household men to overcome feelings of loneliness and isolation.

The men, wearing aprons, receive help from Kim Heon-cheol, a professor at Gwangju University’s Hotel and Food Service Culinary Department who was selected as a world culinary master, and Jinmi, a Korean cuisine chef holding certifications in Korean, Western, Japanese, and Chinese cooking. They learn various and balanced healthy meal recipes, including Italian dishes and stir-fried potatoes.

This nutrition cooking class will run until May 9, and after the program ends, a survey on health behavior improvement and satisfaction will be conducted among participants.

Participant Baek Gi-young said, "At first, I was awkward even holding a knife, but now I enjoy and am happy cooking. I have gained confidence that I can do something for myself, and after tasting the meals I carefully prepared, I feel not only healthier but also emotionally enriched."