SUN CITY, Ariz. (May 18, 2026) – Sun City residents are learning how to cook and eat healthier thanks to a new program being offered at Banner Olive Branch Senior Center which aims to offer people practical nutrition advice and kitchen skills. As part of an initiative offered through the Banner Plans and Networks Wellness Academy, the center has begun hosting quarterly in-person classes that focus on strategies for healthy nutrition, as well as monthly webinars that cover various topics such as stress management.
“This new program offered by Banner Plans and Networks is an outstanding addition to our services at Banner Olive Branch,” said Jennifer Lawless, director of Banner Olive Branch Senior Center. “By listening to feedback from our community members, we identified a need for some basic cooking classes. As circumstances change, people cook less and in smaller amounts, and learning how to cook under these new parameters can be a challenge.”
Led by a registered dietitian, the quarterly class series guides seniors through all aspects of how to maintain a healthy diet at home. From how to cook for one person, effectively using pantry staples, strategies for easy meal prepping, to learning basic kitchen skills like roasting, people can take advantage of the free program according to their own needs and interests. The center recently hosted its second session, which covered how to create simple, healthy meals using everyday pantry staples.
“I learned a lot about how to maintain good health, particularly through how to choose the right ingredients when shopping,” said Tina Miranda, who attended the session. “It’s just very enriching to know what they offer here at Banner Olive Branch — from all of the different food products at the food pantry, to programs like this that outline what you should look for when it comes to healthy food that nourishes you.”
The program is specifically tailored to members’ feedback and is built around the ingredients they may get at Banner Olive Branch’s free food pantry, which provides over one million pounds of food to thousands of people each year. While the program is free and open to the public, one-on-one consultations with dietitians are also available for Banner Medicare Advantage members who are interested in a more personalized experience and can choose to enroll in these programs. Additional program offerings for members include fall prevention, diabetes care, depression management, and proper nutrition for controlling blood pressure.
The nutrition program is another way Banner Health is prioritizing community needs through prevention and promoting educational, interactive methods for healthy living.
“We created the Wellness Academy because our members weren’t just looking for health care — they were looking for connection,” said Ayleen Martinez, associate director of member engagement for Banner Plans and Networks. “With these programs, we’re letting the entire community know that their well-being matters to us, regardless of whether or not they are a Banner Health Plan member. We’re striving to build support systems so that no one feels isolated or like they have to navigate their health journey alone.”
To register and for more information, visit Wellness Academy | Banner Medicare Advantage.
About Banner Health
Banner Health is one of the largest, secular nonprofit health care systems in the country. In addition to 32 hospitals, Banner also operates an academic medicine division, Banner – University Medicine, and Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, a partnership with one of the world’s leading cancer programs, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner’s array of services includes a health insurance division, employed physician groups, outpatient surgery centers, urgent care locations, home care and hospice services, retail pharmacies, stand-alone imaging centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation, behavioral health services, a research division and a nursing registry. To make health care easier, 100% of Banner-employed doctors are available for virtual visits and patients may also reserve spots at Banner Urgent Care locations and can book appointments online with many Banner-employed doctors. Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health also has locations in California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com.
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