VICTORVILLE – Celebrity chef Mario Christerna is lending his expertise in cooking in partnership with the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) Center. This summer, Christerna is showing members and community residents how to cook delicious, traditional meals with a healthy and spicy twist. 

“Food is the connection to everything, from our physical well-being to our mental well-being,” said Christerna. “There has been no greater time than now to embrace healthy eating but not sacrifice the flavor. I’m so excited to partner with IEHP and have so many fun demos, recipes and other surprises coming.”

Christerna previously appeared as a judge on the 2018 MasterChef Latino on Telemundo. As a Boyle Heights native, he says he has expertise elevating the culinary experience of residents in and around the Los Angeles area. His demonstrations highlight cooking with both new and familiar ingredients that are proven to address common health issues in the region, including diabetes and hypertension.

“Healthy eating doesn’t need to mean bland or boring food and Chef Mario knows how to make that possible,” said IEHP’s Community Health Senior Director Cesar Armendariz. “We’re thrilled to connect Chef Mario to our Members and communities to learn how to better utilize spices and well-known ingredients to better manage our health and wellness in a vibrant, delicious manner.”

Cooking demonstrations are open to the community and take place in July every Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Classes in August will be every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at the IEHP Victorville center, located at 12353 Mariposa Road, Suites C-2 & C-3. 

IEHP also plans to record demonstrations for public use in the coming months.

For more information about IEHP visit https://www.iehp.org/community/community-resource-centers