Working fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet isn't always as easy as it sounds.That's why Franciscan Health and Indy Hunger Network have teamed up to offer the Produce Prescription Program.The program provides healthy eati ng options, nutrition education and support. For six weeks, participants receive monthly servings of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as hands-on training to turn those ingredients into healthy meals and snacks."It's the learning, the familiarity with the foods. It's learning the skills of how do you cut up a pineapple. I know I've eaten pineapple before, and it tasted good, but what is this prickly thing, and how do I manage that?" Kate Howe, Executive Director of the Indy Health Network, said. "And so, just the comfort of having somebody show you and do it with you in a hands-on way so that you can build up comfort and familiarity.""We have a master gardener come in, so we have pots and soil, and she brings in seeds and talks about easy ways of gardening there at your home, whether with five-gallon buckets or if you have a little plot. Easy things that you can do, you know, tomatoes," Stacy Fink, Franciscan Health Community Health Specialist, said. "Then we talked a little bit about canning and things like that, how you can preserve, but just keeping your soil healthy and things like that to be able to have produce in the summertime." Sessions at Franciscan begin April 6.The Produce Prescription Program will take place at Franciscan Health Family Medicine Residency, located at 5230 East Stop 11 Road in Indianapolis.To register for the Produce Prescription Program, contact Stacey Fink [email protected] call (317) 528-3675.For those who don't use Franciscan Health, Indy Hunger Network also offers courses year-round through its Cooking Matters program. You can sign up here.__ ...read more read less