New Healthy Teaching Kitchen Opens at North Las Vegas VA Medical Center

North Las Vegas, Nev. – Veterans in Southern Nevada now have an exciting new resource to support their health and wellness goals with the opening of the newly renovated Healthy Teaching Kitchen at the North Las Vegas VA Medical Center.

The state-of-the-art facility is designed to empower Veterans with the knowledge and skills to prepare nutritious, budget-friendly meals at home. The kitchen provides a hands-on, interactive environment where participants can learn about cooking techniques, meal planning, and dietary strategies tailored to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Since the new kitchen opened in July, the VASNHS Nutrition program has conducted dozens of in-person and virtual classes for in-patient and outpatient Veterans. The program expects to serve almost 500 Veterans within the first year. 

“Our new Healthy Teaching Kitchen is more than just a place to cook—it’s a space where Veterans can build confidence in making healthy choices for themselves and their families,” said Monica McGaha, VASNHS Nutrition Program coordinator. “We’re focused on practical, real-life applications that can truly transform the way Veterans approach nutrition.”

The upgraded kitchen includes modern appliances, expanded workstations for demonstrations, and audiovisual capabilities that allow for both in-person and virtual instruction. Classes are led by VA dietitians and health professionals from community partners like Just One Project, a local non-profit. Many sessions are integrated into broader Whole Health and MOVE! program offerings.

For Veterans like Robert McDonald, an Army Veteran who served as military police for over 40 years, this class has helped him manage his diabetes. He drives from Mesquite, NV, each week to participate in Healthy Teaching Kitchen in order to enjoy face-to-face classes in the new facility.

“This class is so important to me because it has helped me get my disease under control,” said McDonald. “But just as important is interacting with my fellow Veterans and encouraging each other. And my wife and I own a restaurant, so I take many of the healthy recipes we learn here and incorporate them into our dishes.”

For more information or to sign up for a class, Veterans can call (702) 791-9024 ext.11442 or register through http://www.va.gov/health-care/manage-health/