In a makeshift classroom in a Roseland low-income housing complex, nine women watched nutrition educator Denetria Adams saute a glistening mix of carrots, celery and onion.

Tammy Spivey, 60, raised her hand from the back row. “What’s worse, cooking oil or lard?”

“Lard,” Adams answered, stirring the steaming mirepoix with practiced ease. “It clogs your arteries.”

Across the room, fellow educator Christine Davis jumped in. “We always want to make sure we’re being cognizant of the type of fat that we’re putting into our bodies.” She rattled off a list of healthier alternatives.

Sunflower oil, olive oil, avocado oil. Spivey jotted down the names on her note sheet, then underlined each word twice.

It was the sixth session of a cooking class run by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Prog

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