Chef Joseph Sakers of Delaware Tech will demonstrate how healthier food choices can help prevent chronic disease during a Nov. 16 event focused on nutrition, wellness, and practical cooking skills.

DOVER, Del. — Can the food on your dinner plate help you live a longer, healthier life?

The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition hopes to help answer that question during its free Yes2Health Fall Retreat on Monday, Nov. 16, at Delaware Technical Community College in Dover.

The two-hour event, scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m., will feature Chef Joseph Sakers, chair of the Culinary Arts Department at Delaware Tech’s Terry Campus, demonstrating recipes built around the increasingly popular concept of “food as medicine.”

Participants will watch cooking demonstrations, sample healthier dishes and learn how everyday food choices can contribute to better health. The first 25 people to register will also receive a bag of fresh produce courtesy of the coalition.

What does ‘food as medicine’ mean?

The idea behind food as medicine is straightforward: What people eat can play a significant role in preventing illness, managing chronic conditions and improving overall health.

Rather than focusing exclusively on medications and medical treatments after a disease develops, the approach recognizes that good nutrition can be an important part of maintaining health.

The American Heart Association defines food as medicine more specifically as providing healthy foods through the health care system to help prevent, manage or treat diet-related chronic diseases. Such programs can include prescriptions for fresh produce, medically tailored groceries and meals designed for people with particular health conditions.

The concept has gained attention as medical professionals examine how nutrition can help address diabetes, heart disease, obesity and other chronic illnesses.

In June 2025, the American Heart Association released a review of 14 randomized clinical trials examining food-as-medicine programs. Researchers found improvements in participants’ diet quality and access to nutritious food, although evidence of long-term improvements in clinical outcomes remained inconsistent.

The findings suggest that nutrition-focused programs have potential, but researchers say more extensive studies are needed to determine their effectiveness in reducing disease and health care costs.

The connection to breast cancer prevention

For the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, the relationship between nutrition and disease prevention is particularly important.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately one in five cancer cases is linked to a combination of excess body weight, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and alcohol consumption.

The society recommends eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and other nutrient-rich foods while limiting processed meats, sugary beverages and highly processed foods.

These recommendations are intended to reduce cancer risk and support overall health. No particular food or diet can guarantee that a person will avoid cancer, and healthy eating is not a substitute for recommended cancer screenings or medical treatment.

The coalition’s Yes2Health program puts these principles into practice by helping Delaware residents make healthier choices through nutrition education, physical activity and community support.

The program includes free 10-week health education sessions, walking activities and interactive cooking classes that teach participants how to prepare nutritious meals.

The coalition also offers online cooking programs and a cookbook club, creating opportunities for people to develop healthier habits without requiring expensive equipment or specialized culinary training.

Making healthy eating practical and enjoyable

Sakers will bring a professional chef’s perspective to the retreat, focusing on making nutritious food flavorful, approachable and enjoyable.

A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1997, Sakers serves as department chair and a culinary arts instructor at Delaware Tech.

His teaching emphasizes nutrition, wellness and practical cooking techniques alongside the professional skills students need for careers in the hospitality industry.

According to the event announcement, Sakers believes culinary professionals can help people make better food choices without sacrificing the enjoyment of eating.

His demonstration will give participants an opportunity to see those principles applied in the kitchen, with samples available during the event.

Small changes can make a difference

One of the challenges surrounding healthy eating is translating nutritional advice into meals that people can realistically prepare and afford.

Fresh produce, whole grains and healthier protein sources can be part of a nutritious diet, but cost, convenience, access to grocery stores and cooking knowledge can all influence what families put on their tables.

Food-as-medicine initiatives increasingly seek to address some of those barriers by connecting nutritional education with greater access to healthy foods.

For individuals, the changes do not necessarily require a complete overhaul of their diet. Choosing water instead of sugary drinks, adding vegetables to familiar meals, preparing more food at home or replacing some refined grains with whole grains can be useful starting points.

The American Cancer Society emphasizes that an overall pattern of healthy eating, maintained over time, matters more than any single ingredient or so-called superfood.

The Yes2Health Fall Retreat is designed to make that message tangible by showing participants how healthy ingredients can become appealing meals.

Through the event, the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition hopes to encourage residents to view nutrition not simply as a matter of weight management but as an important part of lifelong health and disease prevention.

To Go: Yes2Health Fall Retreat

• What: Free cooking demonstration and health education event hosted by the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.
• When: Monday, Nov. 16, 2026, 5-7 p.m.
• Where: Delaware Technical Community College, Terry Campus, Technology Drive, Room 723, Dover.
• Featured presenter: Chef Joseph Sakers, culinary arts department chair at Delaware Tech.
• Cost: Free.
• What to expect: Cooking demonstrations, healthy food samples and a fresh produce bag for the first 25 registrants.
• Registration: Seating is limited. Advance registration is encouraged at Yes2Health Fall Retreat registration.
• More information: Visit Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition’s Yes2Health program or call 1-888-672-9647.

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