PEORIA — “What am I going to do with that 40 pounds of chicken in the freezer?” was the first thing Nerma Frieden thought after watching the movie “Forks Over Knives” two years ago.

The 2011 documentary, which asserts that many degenerative diseases can be controlled and even reversed by adopting a plant based diet, convinced Frieden to change the way she cooked.

“I switched my whole family to plant-based eating,” said Frieden during a recent telephone interview.

Most people don’t make such a radical change until a health problem compels them, but Frieden and her family were perfectly healthy. For her it was an assurance that she would remain that way.

“When I get older, I want to thrive,” said Frieden, 44, of Germantown Hills. “They say it’s not that we’re living longer today, it’s that we’re dying longer. I don’t want to die longer.”

A recent graduate of the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine’s Food For Life training program, Frieden will be sharing her story and helping others adopt a more healthful diet during a series of cooking classes at the Universalist Unitarian Church in Peoria today through April 6, and at Hy-Vee on Sheridan Road April 4-25.

“Food For Life: The Power of Food for Cancer Prevention and Survival Cooking Course” begins with an informational video explaining the evidence supporting a vegan diet as a healthier choice.

“About one third of all cancers are lifestyle related,” said Frieden. “There are foods that promote health, and there are foods that promote cancer.” Diet can have such a profound effect on some conditions that medicines can be lessened or eliminated.

The program Frieden teaches is research-based and designed by doctors, nurses and dietitians. The diet is filled with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, all naturally low in fat and full of fiber and cancer fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals.

A lot of people know they should be eating more fruits and vegetables, but don’t know how to create tasty, fulfilling meals with plant-based foods as the main course. Frieden experienced the same issues when making the switch — as inspired as she was about the benefits of a plant-based diet, eliminating animal products was not easy. She wants to help others overcome the hurdles.

“I had eaten that way and cooked that way for 42 years of my life,” she said. “I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Always we were having either chicken or fish or beef, and I would build my meal around it.”

It took about six months to eliminate animal products from her cooking.

“I was doing it completely on my own, without guidance, so it took a little longer,” she said. Frieden’s husband, who had watched “Forks Over Knives” with her, was completely on board, as were her three children, ages 7 to 12, though they were more concerned with the ethics of eating animals.

“My daughter, when she was 4, went through periods when she refused to eat meat because she thought it was cruel,” said Frieden. “At the time I was one of those people who thought you need to eat animal products for protein. I didn’t think that a diet without meat was optimal for a child. After I saw “Forks Over Knives,” I changed my mind. And I apologized to her, and she said ‘That’s OK, everybody makes mistakes.’”

Vegan for a year and a half now, both Frieden and her husband have lost weight and the children are doing well.

“When we made the switch, I went and talked to a doctor about the girls, and he was supportive,” she said.

Most people think a vegan diet is too restrictive, but Frieden said that once you learn how to use a different set of ingredients, it is very satisfying.

“I had to stock my pantry with new spices,” she said. “It really opens up a whole new world to you. We make Indian dishes, and I have this recipe for peanut butter noodles my kids just love. Then there’s chickpea spinach curry — there are just so many different flavors. Compared to what we used to eat before, that was a boring diet — a piece of meat and mashed potatoes and broccoli.”

Plant-based foods are also very filling, said Frieden.

“The food is bulkier, and the calorie density is lower. It fills you up, you are not hungry. Fiber is a great appetite suppressant.”

Classes cost $15 per week and include a meal’s worth of food samples, said Frieden.

“The classes are right at dinner time, and I plan to have plenty of food, so people can have a healthy dinner.”

If you go

What: “Food for Life: The Power of Food for Cancer Prevention and Survival Cooking Course.”

When/where: 6 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday, today through April 6 at the Universalist Unitarian Church, 3000 W. Richwoods Blvd., Peoria, and 6-8 p.m. every Monday, April 4-25 at Hy-Vee, 4125 N. Sheridan Road, Peoria.

Cost: $15 per week, or $12.50 if you register with a friend. A few spaces may remain for the class beginning this evening at the church. Register at www.eventbrite.com/e/the-power-of-food-for-cancer-prevention-and-survival-march-16-april-6-tickets-21310335788. To register for the class at Hy-Vee, email Nerma Frieden at fflinstructor@gmail.com.





Leslie Renken can be reached at 686-3250 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter, @LeslieRenken, and subscribe to her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.