GLENPOOL, Okla.- For the past several years the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Elderly Nutrition Program has held their annual food show for elders 55 and older who utilize the program. This year’s event was held on Feb. 6 at the Glenpool Conference Center. The event had eight different vendors that provided different foods for taste testing.
MCN Director of Food Services Anna Sterner (Mvskoke) spoke about the event and the benefits it provides for elders. Sterner oversees the elderly nutrition program, the Native American caregiver program and the tiny village for homeless Mvskoke citizens.
The annual food show initially started on a much smaller scale at Okmulgee Nutrition several years back. Event organizers moved the event up north to the Glenpool Conference Center and partnered with their food vendor, Sysco for the event. Moving locations provided more space for vendors, and more space for cooking. The event was opened to elders from the program’s locations including Bristow, Okmulgee, Coweta, Wetumka, Dewar and Sapulpa. According to Sterner, this year’s event had a great turnout, serving over 180 participants.
The taste testing vendors helped build a menu at each elderly nutrition program site. According to Sterner, the menus are designed based on the time of the year the meal is served.
“We like to have new items brought in that the participants can try to select things that they would like to see on either the spring or summer or the fall and winter menu,” Sterner said.
The event typically receives positive feedback from participants. Popular dishes this year included the enchilada and taco soups. Barbecue and salads provided at the event were also popular.
Good Eats and Good Company
Towards the end of the show each participant was asked to complete a survey of each item they tested. The survey gathers information for the program on which foods from the show were popular. When the program’s menus are updated, each item is accounted for its popularity and nutritional value. The program wants to make sure as little food is put to waste as possible.
Sterner mentioned that elders sometimes struggle with the different sweets and bread. Although bread is used in traditional meals, it’s not an ideal food for people who are diabetic.
“We had to cut back on our sweets recently and have been offering more fruits and vegetables. We have a salad bar at every site now of where we do serve twice a week, we have the salad bar open,” Sterner said.
According to Sterner, the food show is not only great for trying new meals that have nutritional value, it is also great to see fellow Mvskoke citizens from across the reservation.
“I think that it’s a great opportunity for the participants to all get together and I know that normally they go to their site whether they live in Okmulgee, Bristow, Eufaula. But when they come to events like this, they get to see everyone from all the sites so they get to visit people that maybe they hadn’t seen in awhile and so it’s nice to see them fellowship and of course to enjoy the food and have a good time.” Sterner said.
The department plans to host next year’s food show either in the fall or winter.
The program offers meals at each site they serve. Meals are served daily, and most offer home deliveries pending the participant’s disability status. The program has also partnered with the MCN Department of Health to provide public health nurses who lecture on health education quarterly throughout the year.
For information about the MCN Elderly Nutrition program, they can be contacted by phone at 918-549-2426.