A Wave of Healthy Meals cookbook for sale

Since June, local nonprofit A Wave of Healthy Meals has been feeding area cancer patients with deliveries of free weekly meals, funded completely through donations.

Founder Denise Vansant closed the kitchen in March due to COVID-19, but still served patients with staple food items delivered by Whole Foods and Amazon. Vansant is set to slowly resume operations with reduced volunteers; she will prepare meals by herself for one volunteer to deliver to homes during the pandemic. 

“We’re starting back up with single patients first, those who have no spouse or other help,“ she said. “Cancer patients are the first quarantiners; they are already at risk, and social isolation is doubled for them.”  

With public events canceled for the foreseeable future, Vansant’s fundraising opportunities dried up, too. To financially support the meal preparation and food delivery program, she compiled a cookbook with her clients’ 30 favorite recipes.

“They are not only intended for people with cancer,” Vansant said. “They are healthy and tasty foods that can be enjoyed by anyone! All profits directly support the work of A Wave of Healthy Meals.”

At $30, the cookbook includes recipes for nutrient-dense soup and broth, protein-building food, salads, sides and tasty tidbits. “It’s a good time for all of us to think more about the food we eat,” Vansant said. “We all need nutrition to build our immune systems, and we need to educate ourselves on foods that can help us improve the quality of our lives.”

To order, go to awaveofhealthymeals.com